Gnidia squarrosa
Common name
Gnidia, yellow daphne
Synonyms
Gnidia polystachya P.J.Bergius, Gnidia polystachya P.J.Bergius var. congesta C.H.Wright
Family
Thymelaeaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Conservation status
Not applicable
Distribution
Exotic. Known as a garden escape from Whanganui. Occasionally sold and grown as a ornamental. Native to South Africa
Habitat
Garden escape. Self seeding freely near parent plants in garden in Whanganui
Detailed description
A shrub, up to 1m high, of variable habit; branches sometimes long and simple, at others short and corymbosely or racemosely arranged, pilose when young, leaf-scars small, but rather prominent; leaves alternate, closely placed, 4-6 x 0.5-0.8 mm. linear-lanceolate, subacute, 1-nerved, flat or slightly keeled, quite glabrous; flowers in clusters of 6-many at the ends of the branches; calyx pilose; tube 3-6 mm long, narrowly ovoid and strongly ribbed in the lower half, narrowly funneliform above; lobes ovate, obtuse, 1.9-2.8 x 0.6-1.2 mm; petals 8, half as long as the lobes, anther-like, shortly stalked, emarginate; anthers 0.9-1.0 mm long; ovary oblong, compressed, hairy at the apex; style of variable length; stigma capitate. null
Flower colours
Cream, Yellow
Propagation technique
Occasionally cultivated as an ornamental in New Zealand. Plants mostly grown from cuttings.
Etymology
gnidia: Named after the genus Gnidia which is also in the Thymelaeaceae family. Gnidia is named after Gnidus, a town in Crete.
squarrosa: Rough, with scale-like projections; from the Latin squarrosus; leaves and leaf stalks
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange (3 October 2012).