Nomenclature

Species name:

Andrachne telephioides   L.

Author(s):

Carl von Linné
   Sweden, 1707-1778

General names:

Andrachne
False Orpine
Bastard Orpine

Maltese name:

Andrakne

Plant Family:

Euphorbiaceae   (Spurge Family)

Name Derivation:

Andrachne = Ancient Greek name for Arbutus - a Strawberry tree. (Greek);
telephoides = Resembling Telephium - a genus name meaning succulent plant (Greek).

Synonyms:

Andrachne nummulariifolia, Andrachne rotundifolia, Andrachne virescens, Telephioides procumbens

Remarks:

Some recent publications have placed the Andrachne genus in the family Phyllanthaceae (meaning "leaf-like flowers"). Andrachne is sole genus comprised in the subtribe Andrachinae. Conventionally, Andrachne have always been a genus of the Euphorbiaceae.

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Annual

Habitat:

Cultivated and waste places mostly near or at urban places.

Sources in Malta:

Locally frequent, numerous specimen found at the University of Malta (Msida).

Plant Height:

Stems up to 25cm long but remains low since of their trailing habit.

Flowering Time:

Mar - Oct

A trailing or ascending, small, glabrous plant which forms several basal branching stems that grow between 10-15cm long, sometimes even up to 25cm. Well-nutrified plants form so much branches that can be described as a small sub-shrub. This member of the Euphorbiaceae family do not produce a milky sap and is a monoecious plant - forming seperate male and female flowers on the same plant.

The leaves are alternate and evenly spaced along the stems, held to by a tiny (1-2mm) petiole. They are broad oval in shape (broadest at the upper half), 5-8mm long (up to 10mm not including the petiole), greyish-green and with a smooth margin. Stipules are very small and silvery grey colour.

The short-stalked flowers grows from the axils of leaves as a unilateral raceme along the upper half of stem; occasionally found solitary. The male and female flowers are found separetely on the same stem, but often at different periods. Male and female flowers are actinomorphic structures but inconspicuous both in colour (green-yellow) and in size (4-6mm). The calyx is probably the most attractive part of the small flowers. It consists of 5 (or 6) rounded, lance-shaped, spreading out sepals which are pale green in colour with an elegant white margin.

Male flowers have 5-6 sepals and 5-6 alternating green petals, both about 2mm long. They have same number of erect stamens around a much-reduced, functionless ovary. There are glandular nectaries at the base of the stamens. Anthers yellowish-brown. Female flowers same as male but lack stamens and petals and have a larger 3-parted central ovary with 3 free, filiform, short styles. The ovary is divided into 3 locules with two ovules each. In some cases there is a partial connate morphology in the free perianth segments and male reproductive organs.

The fertilized ovary enlargens itself to a 3mm sub-spherical, glabrous, greyisg-green, fruit capsule which stores a maximum of 6 seeds. Seeds become brown when ripe. They are 2mm long, triquetrous in shape (triangular cross section) with the outer side rounded. It can be imagined as one of the parts when a spherical structure is divided into 6 radially equal parts.

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