Umbilicus schmidtii
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Umbilicus schmidtii | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Crassulaceae |
| Genus: | Umbilicus |
| Species: | U. schmidtii |
| Binomial name | |
| Umbilicus schmidtii Bolle, 1859 | |
Umbilicus schmidtii is a flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde.[2] It is listed as endangered by the IUCN.[1]
Umbilicus schmidtii is an unbranched erect perennial herb up to 25 cm high, glabrous in all parts. Basal leaves orbicular, peltate, up to 6 cm in diameter, somewhat succulent, margin slightly crenate to almost entire, petioles long. Cauline leaves smaller, shortly petiolated to almost sessile. Inflorescence long many flowered terminal raceme. Calyx much shorter than the corolla. Corolla brownish yellow, tubular; lobes short, lanceolate, acuminate.
Related taxa
The species is fairy similar to the Mediterranean Umbilicus horizontalis and also resembles the African U. botryoides. The taxonomic significance of U. schmidtii is uncertain.
Distribution and ecology
Umbilicus scmidtii is a western hygrophyte occurring on Santo Antão, São Nicolau,[3] Santiago and Fogo of the Cape Verde Islands.[2] It is confined to small areas in the subhumid and humid zones, mainly between 800 m and 1600 m.[1] The lower most records are 550 m on Fogo (Monte Palha, leg. Killian & Leyens) and at 600 m on Santo Antao (Sunding 1981) and the uppermost one at 2000 m on Fogo (Ormonde 1977). The plants grow on north to northeast facing, moist cliffs. Umbilicus schmidtii is infrequent even in suitable habitats and it is generally considered to be rare.