Cliffortia ruscifolia

Cliffortia ruscifolia, the climber's friend, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.[1] A 1 to 1.5 m (3 to 5 ft) tall shrub with painfully sharp leaves, it is found growing on rocks and cliffs, and it is a pioneer species of disturbed areas.[2] It is prone to hairy white galls of unknown cause.[2]

Cliffortia ruscifolia
In bloom
A plant with galls
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Cliffortia
Species:
C. ruscifolia
Binomial name
Cliffortia ruscifolia
Synonyms[1]
  • Borbonia trinervia L.
  • Cliffortia arachnoidea G.Lodd.
  • Liparia hirsuta Moench

Subtaxa

The following varieties are accepted:[1]

  • Cliffortia ruscifolia var. purpurea Weim. – southwestern Cape Provinces
  • Cliffortia ruscifolia var. ruscifolia – Cape Provinces
Close-up of flowering branch

References
  1. "Cliffortia ruscifolia L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  2. Whitehouse, Chris (March 2022). "Climber's Friend". phillipskop.co.za. Phillipskop Mountain Reserve. Retrieved 6 September 2023.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.