Passerina (plant)

The genus name Passerina derives from the Latin word "sparrow"—given the plants in reference to a perceived similarity in the shape of the fruit to a sparrow's beak—more evident in the Thymelaceous plant Thymelaea hirsuta (formerly placed in the genus Passerina). ==Taxonomy==

Passerina L., Sp. Pl. 559 (1753); Wright in FC. 5, 2: 9 (1915); Thoday in Kew Bull. 1924: 146, 387 (1924). Chymococca Meissn., Wright 1.c. 14, is a genus of plants in the family Thymelaeaceae. ==Description==

Members of the genus Passerina are ericoid shrubs or shrublets, often with a tendency to having pendulous branches. Their leaves are markedly decussate. They are concave or closely involute, lined with woolly hairs, and cling to leafy stems without being large enough to cover them. This gives the plants a characteristic plaited or corded appearance. The calyx has four sepals, forming a flask-shaped or subcylindrical tube. At the mouth the sepals spread into lobes that are shorter than the tube. There are no petals, but the lobes of the sepals are quite colourfully petal-like in many species. The ovary is ovoid with a single loculus containing a solitary ovule. The style is lateral, bearing a mop-like stigma that fills the mouth of the calyx-tube. ==Distribution==

The genus is endemic to Southern Africa, most species within South Africa, though some extend north of the border. The greatest concentration of species is in Cape fynbos, where some species are endemic to very small regions. Passerina ericoides for example occurs naturally only on the Cape Peninsula and the vicinity of False Bay ==Species==

There are 21 accepted species in the genus Passerina. • Passerina burchellii Thoday • Passerina comosa (Meisn.) C.H. Wright • Passerina corymbosa Eckl. ex C.H. Wright • Passerina drakensbergensis Hilliard & B.L. Burtt • Passerina ericoides L. • Passerina esterhuyseniae Bredenkamp & A.E. van Wyk • Passerina falcifolia (Meisn.) C.H. Wright • Passerina filiformis L. • Passerina galpinii C.H. Wright • Passerina montana Thoday • Passerina montivaga Bredenkamp & A.E. van Wyk • Passerina nivicola Bredenkamp & A.E. van Wyk • Passerina obtusifolia Thoday • Passerina paleacea Wikstr. • Passerina paludosa Thoday • Passerina pendula Eckl. & Zeyh. ex Thoday • Passerina quadrifaria Bredenkamp & A.E. van Wyk • Passerina rigida Wikstr. • Passerina rubra C.H. Wright • Passerina ternata Magee & Euston-Brown • Passerina truncata (Meisn.) Bredenkamp & A.E. van Wyk ==Ecological and commercial significance==

Passerina is a generally insignificant genus, seldom noticed by the non-botanist. The attractive ericoid habit and fuss-free growth make it a useful subject in informal fynbos gardens. Being wind-pollinated, the plants generally are not of much importance to pollinating organisms such as bees and birds. The Khoisan name gonna refers to the use of its tough bark, together with that of related plants, for binding such items as thatch. ==References==