Gnidia microcephala Meisn.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Chakoma, NE of Harare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Haka Game Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
Besna Kobila, Matobo

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Synonyms:	Arthrosolen microcephalus (Meisn.) E. Phillips Arthrosolen pimeleoides Meisn. Gnidia phyllodinea S. Moore Gnidia thomsonii H. Pearson
Common names:
Frequency:	Frequent
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb, 15-45 cm tall, growing from a woody rhizome. Stems one to many, slender, mostly unbranched, pale green, hairless. Leaves alternate, (sub)sessile, 10-18(25) mm long, linear to narrowly elliptic, grey-green, hairless; margin sometimes inrolled. Inflorescence a terminal head, 5-50-flowered, sometimes overtopped by the the upper leaves. Flowers 4-merous, 5-14 mm long, dull yellow to orange-red.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	microcephala: with small heads
Habitat:	In miombo woodland and grassland, which are regularly burned.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 2300 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Limpopo, North-West, Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,C,E
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Thursday 25 February 2021
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 28. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 18. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 113. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 80. also as Gnidia phyllodinea Peterson, B. (updated by Verdcourt, B.) (2006). Thymelaeaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(3) Pages 99 - 100. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 101. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 108. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 100.

Other sources of information about Gnidia microcephala:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Gnidia microcephala
Flora of Malawi: Gnidia microcephala
Flora of Mozambique: Gnidia microcephala
Flora of Zambia: Gnidia microcephala

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Gnidia microcephala
African Plant Database: Gnidia microcephala
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Gnidia microcephala
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Gnidia microcephala
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Gnidia microcephala
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Gnidia microcephala
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Gnidia microcephala
JSTOR Plant Science: Gnidia microcephala
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Gnidia microcephala
Plants of the World Online: Gnidia microcephala
Tropicos: Gnidia microcephala
Wikipedia: Gnidia microcephala