Guthriea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Guthriea |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Guthriea
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| Species: |
capensis
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The Guthriea capensis is a special kind of plant that grows close to the ground. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for many years. You can only find this plant in South Africa, especially in the cool, damp mountains of the Cape Province, Lesotho, and KwaZulu-Natal.
This plant is unique because it's monotypic. This means it's the only species in its entire group, called Guthriea. The plant was named after a clever person named Francis Guthrie, who was a botanist (plant scientist) and a mathematician. His friend, another botanist named Harry Bolus, named the plant after him.
Guthriea capensis stays very low to the ground. It has a special underground stem called a rhizome and thick, fleshy roots. It forms a neat circle of about 20 to 30 leaves, which are wide and heart-shaped. The leaves are shiny on top with deep veins, and they have slightly bumpy edges. They are about 50 by 75 millimeters in size. The plant's creamy-green flowers are small and grow very close to the ground, often hidden by the leaves. Each flower grows on its own stalk.
One of the most amazing things about Guthriea capensis is how it gets pollinated. Its main pollinator is a reptile, the Drakensberg crag lizard (Pseudocordylus subviridis). This is very rare! Most plants are pollinated by insects or birds. Only a few other plants in the world are mainly pollinated by reptiles, like Trochetia blackburniana from Mauritius, which is pollinated by geckos. The lizards are attracted to the Guthriea capensis flowers by a special scent called safranal. This scent is a type of chemical that smells good to the lizards.
Guthriea belongs to a plant family called Achariaceae. This family now includes many plants that used to be in an older family called Flacourtiaceae. Other plants related to Guthriea capensis include Kiggelaria africana, Rawsonia lucida, and Xylotheca kraussiana.
What it Looks Like
Guthriea capensis is a small plant that doesn't have a visible stem above ground. It grows from an underground stem called a rhizome, which helps it store food and water. Its roots are thick and fleshy.
The leaves of the plant grow in a circle, like a rosette. They are simple, meaning they are not divided into smaller leaflets. Each leaf is either oval or heart-shaped and has a stalk. The top and bottom of the leaves are different colors, and their edges are slightly wavy or toothed.
The flowers are small and grow one by one on short stalks. They are often hidden close to the ground. The flowers have five sepals (leaf-like parts that protect the bud) and five petals. The petals are veined and form a bell-shaped tube. Inside the flower, there are five small glands that produce nectar, which attracts pollinators.
After the flower is pollinated, it forms a fruit that is a capsule. This capsule splits open into four or five parts when it's ripe. Inside, there are several seeds, and each seed has a special covering called an aril.
