ACANTHACEAE
Barleria senensis
Mozambique Barleria
Wildflowers© Ken Farnsworth (2021) • Western fence, Honey Buzzard area
© Ken Farnsworth (2021) • Western fence, Honey Buzzard area
© Ken Farnsworth (2021) • Western fence, Honey Buzzard area
Local Context
Mostly in the western parts of the estate, for example in the area where the Aardvark trail crosses the small stream and where Honey Buzzard meets the western fence.Identification
- Growth: Erect or straggling herb or shrub up to 3 m tall.
- Flowers: Yellow, orange, or apricot, shaped like a tube (up to 3.6 cm) with spreading lobes, emerging from conspicuous green-and-white spoon-shaped bracts.
- Leaves: Elliptic to spoon-shaped up to 14 cm long, often with small 4-rayed spines in the leaf axils.
- Texture: Young leaves covered in stiff pale hairs becoming smooth with age, while flower clusters have sticky glands and bristly hairs.
- Fruit: Smooth capsule up to 1.7 cm long.
Did You Know?
Like all other Barlerias, it has a "built-in catapult" to launch its seeds. This phenomenon, called ballochory, occurs when their seed capsules dry out and build up massive internal tension. In many species, like Barleria senensis, the trigger is moisture. When a ripe capsule is wetted by rain, it explodes with a sudden snap, flinging seeds several feet away in different directions. This high-speed dispersal is powered by unique, hook-like structures inside the pod called jaculators, which physically kick the seeds out at high speed. This explosive exit ensures that the next generation of plants doesn't have to compete for sunlight or nutrients in the shadow of their parent.