Muraltia - a horror to ID

The standard reference for Muraltia is here:

https://archive.org/details/botanysupplement02unse/page/n245/mode/2up?q=acicularis

Levyns 1954 The genus Muraltia. J S Afr Bot: Supp 2.

Some quotes before you get involved (make sure that you are ready):

"Every botanist who tries the experiment will, we are sure, declare the determination of the species of this genus a very difficult, and often an almost desperate task. owing not only to their great uniformity of habit ..."

"The leaves in Muraltia are highly variable and show marked changes in response to changes of habitat ... are useless as a primary means of separating species."
"the changes taking place in the flower between the time the corolla emerges from the calyx and the moment of pollination ... rapid and very unequal development of the parts of each organ during this time makes it clear that when describing species comparative measurements of the floral parts must be made at the same developmental stage if such measurements are to have any significance. Measurements given in most previous works on Muraltia are almost meaningless because the stage of floral development is not stated"

The genus has two subgenera, but no sections are recognized. (although there are alliances, clear groups are not obvious),

Subgenus Psiloclada Leaves solitary: flowers with distinct, often long pedicels; inner sepals much longer than the outer: attachment of the crest long, almost vertical: capsule often cernuous, with or without 4 short horn-like processes at the apex, the horns never long and_slender.
Psiloclada

Subgenus Muraltia Leaves usually fascicled, sometimes solitary: flowers sessile or with short pedicels; inner sepals usually slightly longer than the outer: crest attached in various ways: capsule never cernuous, often with long horn-like processes at the apex, occasionally without horns.
Muraltia

And from then on it is the shape and size and hairiness of the calyx, and the corolla and the carina, and surprizingly enough - the leaves.

Note:
stamens are always 7: nothing useful there.
The corolla has 3 petals, the remaining two forming the carina (keel) with its crest. The carina and crest are what you need to photograph most carefully (but dont forget the sepals).

Publicado el 29 de octubre de 2020 por tonyrebelo tonyrebelo

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See Also:

Muraltia elsiae: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254629916311899 a rather odd one;
and
Muraltia bondii https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254629916311899

I think that the The descriptions for Muraltias spinosa and scoparia are problematic and I haven't added them.

Note: Levyns Muraltia scoparia (p41) is now Muraltia parvifolia. That's not the one I have problems with.

Publicado por andrewm hace más de 3 años

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