Muraltia minuta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Muraltia minuta | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Polygalaceae |
| Genus: | Muraltia |
| Species: | M. minuta |
| Binomial name | |
| Muraltia minuta | |
Muraltia minuta (mini purple gorse) is a flowering plant in the milkwort family (Polygalaceae). It is endemic to rocky flats to about 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level in the south-western Cape Province, South Africa.[1][2][3][4]
It is a perennial erect or spreading subshrub with a height between 6 and 20 centimetres (2.4 and 7.9 in) and branches mainly at its base.[1][2] The plant's clustered leaves are softly-haired and have sharp tips. It produces pink flowers which are stalkless, the calyx is at least half the length of the corolla.[1][5] It is categorised on the Red List of South African Plants as Endangered due to invasive species and habitat loss.[6]
Muraltia minuta was first written about by Margaret Levyns in 1954 in the Journal of South African Botany.[7] It was named "minuta", the Latin word for "small", in reference to the plant's small size.[1]
