Clutia pulchella

Clutia pulchella
C. pulchella var. pulchella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily: Acalyphoideae
Genus: Clutia
Species: C. pulchella
Binomial name
Clutia pulchella
L.

The lightning bush, Clutia pulchella, is a southern African dioecious shrub of the family Euphorbiaceae. It occurs at middle altitudes in Namibia, Mozambique,[1] Zimbabwe,[2] Swaziland,[3] Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.[4]

Description

They may grow 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) high,[3] and occur on a variety of broken terrain types.

The twigs are green with some wart-like growths. Leaf shape is somewhat variable, either blunt-tipped ovate or broadly lanceolate. The foliage is bluish-green but sometimes interspersed with some bright orange leaves.[5] They are soft with venation that is transparent against light, besides the numerous glands that dot each leaf.[5][Note 1]

The axillary flowers develop into spherical,[3] clearly three-chambered capsules. The capsules are about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) in diameter, and may bear warts. Seeds are released when the dry capsules burst open.

It is a food plant for the Heidelberg copper butterfly. It is similar to the related monoecious species C. abyssinica, which has the leaves more elongated.[4]

Close-ups
Foliage
Flowers

Infra-specific taxa

Notes

  1. i.e. punctate with pellucid glands, or pellucid-punctate.

References

  1. "Clutia pulchella". Plant Database. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  2. Hyde, M. A.; et al. "Clutia pulchella L. var. obtusata Sond.". Flora of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Clutia pulchella L. var. pulchella". Swaziland's Flora Database. SNTC. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Clutia pulchella L.". African Plant Database. CJB & SANBI. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  5. 1 2 Van Wyk, Braam (1988). Veldgids tot die Veldblomme van die Witwatersrand- en Pretoria-gebied. Cape Town: Struik. pp. 130–131. ISBN 0-86977-815-3.
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