KEWACEAE

Kewa bowkeriana

African Saltsorrel

Wildflowers

Local Context

All records so far from the Southern end of the estate, along the Buffalo Trail and near the Guineafowl Dam. It occurs in large parts of Africa In salty or brackish soils, vleis, riverbeds, dry grassland, karoo scrub, and savanna, often in sandy or disturbed areas like parking lots.

Identification

Growth: Small, shrub-like perennial herb that creeps along the ground or grows upright, usually reaching up to 30 cm tall.
Flowers: Small, greenish, white, or pale purple, arranged in loose, umbrella-shaped clusters of 4–8 flowers at the ends of long, slender stalks.
Leaves: Succulent, narrow, and cylinder-shaped (up to 6 cm long), often blue-grey or grey-green in color, growing in tight bundles or clusters; they may have small wart-like bumps.
Texture: Leaves are fleshy, smooth, and waxy; the flower stalks are usually smooth but can have tiny bumps.
Fruit: Small rounded capsule containing smooth, shiny brown seeds that are triangular in shape.

Did You Know?

Kewa bowkeriana is one of only eight species in the Kewaceae family, a group newly established in 2014 after molecular studies revealed these plants were not closely related to their previous family, Molluginaceae. The genus Kewa is named in honour of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, whose researchers were instrumental in identifying this unique lineage and whose online database has been an invaluable resource for this website.

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