Schizoglossum

Schizoglossum is a genus of deciduous perennials in the Apocynaceae family. The tuberous plants die back and grow new flowering shoots annually. All plant parts exude a milky latex. The erect stems are simple or sparsely branched.

The opposite, decussate leaves, sometimes whorled, grow on short petioles and have entire margins that may be wavy and usually rolled under. The leaf bases may be arrow-shaped, and the tips variably pointed. Rough hairs are often present on the upper leaf surfaces, while the lower surfaces have hairs along the midribs, sometimes also along the lateral veins.

The inflorescences grow few to many flowers in umbels emerging from outside upper leaf axils, mostly peduncled and several umbels per stem. The peduncles are hairy, the bracteoles tiny. The calyx is shorter than the corolla, usually much smaller, its segments triangular and hairy on the outside, hairless inside with ciliate margins. The elliptic, sometimes hooded and variably hairy corolla lobes overlap to the left during the bud phase. When the lobe margins are ciliate, they are so on both margins, the open and the initially covered one.

The outer corona lobes alternate with the corolla lobes. The generic name, Schizoglossum, is derived from the Greek prefix schizo- meaning split and the Greek word glossum meaning tongue, referring to the corona lobes which are often split into two or more parts that resemble bifurcated tongues. The stamens are united at the base, forming a hollow column from which the corona lobes arise. The ovary consists of two free carpels inside the staminal column. The styles taper upwards, then unite and broaden into a flat or knobbed style head.

The follicles are hairy; their pedicels coiled at the tips. The numerous seeds have dark brown, wrinkled skins and attached tufts of white hairs.

There are about 80 Schizoglossum species, 27 of which in southern Africa, mainly found in grassland. The plant in picture is Schizoglossum hamatum (Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Pooley, 1998).