Muraltia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales

Familia: Polygalaceae
Tribus: Polygaleae
Genus: Muraltia
Subgenera: M. subg. Muraltia – M. subg. Psiloclada

Species: M. acerosa – M. acicularis – M. acipetala – M. aciphylla – M. alba – M. alopecuroides – M. alticola – M. angulosa – M. angustiflora – M. arachnoidea – M. aspalatha – M. aspalathoides – M. asparagifolia – M. barkeriae – M. bolusii – M. bondii – M. brachyceras – M. brachypetala – M. brevicornu – M. caledonensis – M. calycina – M. capensis – M. carnosa – M. chamaepitys – M. ciliaris – M. cliffortiifolia – M. collina – M. commutata – M. comptonii – M. concava – M. crassifolia – M. curvipetala – M. cuspifolia – M. cyclolopha – M. decipiens – M. demissa – M. depressa – M. diabolica – M. dispersa – M. divaricata – M. dumosa – M. elsieae – M. empetroides – M. empleuridioides – M. ericaefolia – M. ericoides – M. ferox – M. filiformis – M. flanaganii – M. gillettiae – M. guthriei – M. harveyana – M. heisteria – M. hirsuta – M. horrida – M. hyssopifolia – M. juniperifolia – M. karroica – M. knysnaensis – M. lewisiae – M. lignosa – M. longicuspis – M. macowanii – M. macrocarpa – M. macroceras – M. macropetala – M. minuta – M. mitior – M. mixta – M. montana – M. muirii – M. muraltioides – M. mutabilis – M. namaquensis – M. obovata – M. occidentalis – M. ononidifolia – M. orbicularis – M. origanoides – M. oxysepala – M. pageae – M. paludosa – M. pappeana – M. parvifolia – M. pauciflora – M. pillansii – M. plumosa – M. polyphylla – M. pottebergensis – M. pubescens – M. pungens – M. rara – M. rhamnoides – M. rigida – M. rosmarinifolia – M. rubeacea – M. salsolacea – M. satureioides – M. saxicola – M. schlechteri – M. scoparia – M. serpylloides – M. serrata – M. spicata – M. spinosa – M. splendens – M. squarrosa – M. stenophylla – M. stipulacea – M. stokoei – M. tenuifolia – M. thunbergii – M. thymifolia – M. trinervia – M. vulnerans – M. vulpina
Name

Muraltia DC. Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 1: 335. (1824) nom. et typ. cons.

Type species: Muraltia heisteria (L.) DC. Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 1: 335. (1824)

Synonyms
Homonyms

Muraltia Neck. Elem. Bot. (Necker) 3: 62. (1790) nom. inval. published in opus utiq. oppr. See ICBN (2006), App. VI: 483
Heterotypic
Nylandtia Dumort. Comment. Bot. 31. (1822)
'Type Species: Nylandtia spinosa (L.) Dumort. Comment. Bot. 31. (1822)

Note: The heterotypic synonymy is not accepted by African Plant Database (2016) and Tropicos (2016). However, Forest & Manning (2006) and Forest et al. (2007) found both Nylandtia species to be clearly embedded in Muraltia subgen. Psiloclada.
References

Candolle, A.P. de 1824. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 1: 335.
African Plants Database (version 3.4.0). Muraltia. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Accessed: 2016 Oct. 12.
Forest, F. & Manning, J.C. 2006. Evidence for inclusion of South African endemic Nylandtia in Muraltia (Polygalaceae). Systematic Botany 31(3): 525–532. DOI: 10.1600/036364406778388566 Reference page.
Forest, F., Nänni, I., Chase, M.W., Crane, P.R. & Hawkins, J.A. 2007. Diversification of a large genus in a continental biodiversity hotspot: temporal and spatial origin of Muraltia (Polygalaceae) in the Cape of South Africa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43(1): 60–74. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.08.017 Full text PDF from ResearchGate Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2016. Muraltia. Published online. Accessed: Oct. 12 2016.
Tropicos.org 2016. Muraltia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 12 Oct. 2016.

Muraltia is a genus of plants in the milkwort family (Polygalaceae) which is native to Southern and Eastern Africa.[2][3][4] Most species are endemic to South Africa and 1 species is naturalized in Australia.[5] It is named after Johnnes von Muralt, a Swiss botanist and surgeon.[6]

In 2006, the genus Nylandtia, which contained 2 species, was merged into Muraltia.[7] The 2 species formerly part of Nylandtia, Muraltia scoparia and Muraltia spinosa. Nylandtia are commonly known as "Tortoise berry" plants ("skilpadbessie"). This is because of the bright edible berries that they produce, which are relished by the tortoise species of the fynbos.[1]
Description

Muraltia are perennial, ericoid shrublets or shrubs. Their small flowers and sessile or have short stalks.[8] usually have 3 petals and 5 sepals which are usually subequal. Their fruits contain 2 seeds. Their capsules are flat, membranous, and usually 4-horned. Its seeds are pubescent.[4][9]
Species

As of July 2020, there are 118 accepted Muraltia species:[4]

Muraltia acerosa
Muraltia acicularis
Muraltia acipetala
Muraltia aciphylla
Muraltia alba
Muraltia alopecuroides
Muraltia alticola
Muraltia angulosa
Muraltia angustiflora
Muraltia arachnoidea
Muraltia aspalatha
Muraltia aspalathoides
Muraltia asparagifolia
Muraltia barkerae
Muraltia bolusii
Muraltia bondii
Muraltia brachyceras
Muraltia brachypetala
Muraltia caledonensis
Muraltia calycina
Muraltia capensis
Muraltia carnosa
Muraltia chamaepitys
Muraltia ciliaris
Muraltia cliffortiifolia
Muraltia collina
Muraltia commutata
Muraltia comptonii
Muraltia concava
Muraltia crassifolia
Muraltia curvipetala
Muraltia cuspifolia
Muraltia cyclolopha
Muraltia decipiens
Muraltia demissa
Muraltia depressa
Muraltia diabolica
Muraltia dispersa
Muraltia divaricata
Muraltia dumosa
Muraltia elsieae
Muraltia empetroides
Muraltia empleuridioides
Muraltia ericifolia
Muraltia ericoides
Muraltia ferox
Muraltia filiformis
Muraltia flanaganii
Muraltia gillettiae
Muraltia guthriei
Muraltia harveyana
Muraltia heisteria
Muraltia hirsuta
Muraltia horrida
Muraltia hyssopifolia
Muraltia juniperifolia
Muraltia karroica
Muraltia knysnaensis
Muraltia lancifolia
Muraltia langebergensis
Muraltia leptorhiza
Muraltia lewisiae
Muraltia lignosa
Muraltia longicuspis
Muraltia macowanii
Muraltia macrocarpa
Muraltia macroceras
Muraltia macropetala
Muraltia minuta
Muraltia mitior
Muraltia mixta
Muraltia montana
Muraltia muirii
Muraltia muraltioides
Muraltia mutabilis
Muraltia namaquensis
Muraltia obovata
Muraltia occidentalis
Muraltia ononidifolia
Muraltia orbicularis
Muraltia origanoides
Muraltia oxysepala
Muraltia pageae
Muraltia paludosa
Muraltia pappeana
Muraltia pauciflora
Muraltia pillansii
Muraltia plumosa
Muraltia polyphylla
Muraltia pottebergensis
Muraltia pubescens
Muraltia pungens
Muraltia rara
Muraltia rhamnoides
Muraltia rigida
Muraltia rosmarinifolia
Muraltia rubeacea
Muraltia salsolacea
Muraltia satureioides
Muraltia saxicola
Muraltia schlechteri
Muraltia scoparia Goldblatt & Manning[10]
Muraltia serpylloides
Muraltia serrata
Muraltia spicata
Muraltia spinosa Dumort.[11]
Muraltia splendens
Muraltia squarrosa
Muraltia stenophylla
Muraltia stipulacea
Muraltia tenuifolia
Muraltia thunbergii
Muraltia thymifolia
Muraltia trinervia
Muraltia vulnerans
Muraltia vulpina

References

Forest, Félix; Manning, John C. (2006). "Evidence for inclusion of South African endemic Nylandtia in Muraltia (Polygalaceae)". Syst Bot. 31 (3): 525–532. doi:10.1600/036364406778388566. JSTOR 25064182.
Roskov Y.; Kunze T.; Orrell T.; Abucay L.; Paglinawan L.; Culham A.; Bailly N.; Kirk P.; Bourgoin T.; Baillargeon G.; Decock W.; De Wever A. (2014). Didžiulis V. (ed.). "Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2014 Annual Checklist". Species 2000: Reading, UK. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
Forest F, Nänni I, Chase MW, Crane PR, Hawkins JA (2007). "Diversification of a large genus in a continental biodiversity hotspot: Temporal and spatial origin of Muraltia (Polygalaceae) in the Cape of South Africa". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 43 (1): 60–74. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.08.017. PMID 17049279.
"Muraltia DC". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
"Fact sheet for Muraltia". Electronic Flora of South Australia. Government of South Africa. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
Hermanus Botanical Society. "Muraltia minuta". Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
Forest, Félix; Manning, John C. (2006). "Evidence for Inclusion of South African Endemic Nylandtia in Muraltia (Polygalaceae)". Systematic Botany. 31 (3): 525–532. doi:10.1600/036364406778388566. ISSN 0363-6445. JSTOR 25064182.
"Flora of New South Wales". no.112. Government Printer. 1978. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
"Muraltia". Flora of Victoria. Government of Victoria, Australia. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
"Nylandtia scoparia".
"Nylandtia spinosa".