Kingdom Plantae Clade Monocots Subfamily Asphodeloideae Rank Species | Clade Angiosperms Family Asphodelaceae Genus Astroloba Order Asparagales | |
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Similar Astroloba, Astroloba congesta, Astroloba spiralis, Astroloba bullulata, Astroloba herrei | ||
Astroloba foliolosa is a small succulent plant of the Astroloba genus, that is widespread in the arid southern Cape regions of South Africa.
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Description
Astroloba foliolosa is a relatively widespread and variable Astroloba species, which may comprise several subspecies.
Typically it has slender stems (4-5 cm wide), which can grow over 20 cm in height and sprawl over the ground. The stems are densely covered in rounded triangular leaves, which grow in 5 ranks and sometimes form a rough spiral. The smooth, glossy, grey-green leaves curve outwards, sometimes almost at a 90 degree angle to the stem. The leaves have keels and margins, with a flat or convex upper face. The margins sometimes have tiny tubercles.
This species produces cream-white flowers in the rainy season (July to March depending on region), tinged with green or yellow. Like its closest relatives (Astroloba congesta and Astroloba robusta) its flowers have unusually short pedicels.
Its close relative Astroloba congesta, whose smaller range lies just to the east, is sometimes included as a shorter subspecies of A.foliolosa, with wider stems and concave upper faces to its leaves. A.foliolosa proper is distinguished by its leaves having the distinctive keeled shape.
Distribution
This species is relatively widely distributed across the Karoo flats of the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa. It also extends slightly into the Northern Cape.
It occurs as far west as Laingsburg and Ladismith, northwards to Beaufort West, and eastwards through Graaff Reinet towards Albany and Cradock (where Astroloba congesta takes over).
This is an area of relatively high rainfall, 250-400 mm, which falls predominantly in the summer.