Dyschoriste setigera leaves

This plant growing nearly rounded leaves with slightly protruding, obtusely pointed tips, was seen in Kirstenbosch in June. It was labelled with the old name for Dyschoriste setigera, viz. Chaetacanthus setiger; catching up with name changes everywhere is a process.

The simple, opposite leaves of D. setigera grow on short petioles. The leaf-shape ranges from nearly round to ovate or obovate. The soft textured blades are here fleshy and slightly uneven, the margins entire. Midribs and the little there is to be seen of lateral venation are very slightly recessed on the upper surfaces. The colour on the upper surfaces of the thriving blades is dark green, apart from the new stem-tip leaves that are briefly yellow-green. Young leaves have a covering of glandular hairs.

 Leaf dimensions are 10 mm long and 5 mm wide (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Van Wyk and Malan, 1997; iNaturalist).