Pentanisia angustifolia

Pentanisia angustifolia, also known as narrow-leaved pentanisia, is a species of flower that blooms in the early rains of southern Africa.

Description

This plant has simple, undivided leaves, typical of the family.

Range

Pentanisia angustifolia is found in eastern South Africa, Lesotho, eSwatini, and Mozambique.

Habitat

Up to 800m in Mozambique and higher in the highveld.

Ecology

The flower lives in the herb layer of woodlands.

Etymology

Derived from Greek, "Penta-" means "five" and "-nisia" may come from the word "nisos", which means "island" or "land." The specific epithet is derived from Latin, "angusti-" coming from "angustus," meaning "narrow" or "tight" and "-folia" coming from "folium," which means "leaf," hence the "narrow-leaved" reference in this flower's common name.

Taxonomy

Synonyms include Diotocarpus angustifolius Hochst. and Pentanisia variabilis Harv. var. glaucescens Cruse ex Sond. The genus Diotocarpus was revised alongside other herbaceous Rubiaceae in 1952, having been considered a taxonomic synonym of Pentanisia.