Cotyledon orbiculata L.
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At present, there are no specific conservation measures in place for this species. However, even if threatened in the wild, dog's ears are a frequently cultivated species (8), and these populations will act as an insurance against this species extinction.
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| Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
| Source | http://www.arkive.org/dogs-ears/cotyledon-orbiculata/ |
Cotyledon orbiculata, commonly known as pig's ear or round-leafed navel-wort, is a South African succulent plant belonging to the Cotyledon genus.
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Description[edit]
C. orbiculata is an extremely variable species that grows to approximately 1.3 m (4.3 ft) in height.[1] It has gray-green leaves that can be up to 13 by 7 cm (5.1 by 2.8 in) with a white powdery substance on them that helps reflect sunlight and conserve water.[2] The shape of the leaves was thought to have a resemblance to a pig's ear, thus the common name.[3] The bell-shaped flowers are small, usually less than 3 cm (1.2 in) in length, and droop from the top of a 60 cm (24 in) tall stalk.[1] The flowers are usually orange-red but yellow varieties also exist.
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Flower
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Leaves (green variety)
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Grey variety in cultivation
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Distribution[edit]
Native to South Africa,[1] it is popular in gardens in many countries. In the wild, it grows naturally in rocky outcrops in grassy shrubland and the Karoo region. In New Zealand, it is considered an invasive plant and is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord.[4]
Uses[edit]
Cotyledon orbiculata is a common garden plant, with many different varieties.
C. orbiculata has a number of medicinal uses. In South Africa, the fleshy part of the leaf is applied to warts and corns. Heated leaves are used as poultices for boils and other inflammations. Single leaves may be eaten as a vermifuge and the juice has been used to treat epilepsy.[2]
However, the leaves contain a bufanolide called cotyledontoxin, which is toxic to sheep, goats, horses, cattle, poultry, and dogs, causing a condition known as cotyledonosis.[5]
References[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cotyledon orbiculata. |
- ^ a b c "Cotyledon orbiculata". University of Oklahoma Department of Botany & Microbiology. June 13, 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ a b Harris, Shireen. "Cotyledon orbiculata". South Africa National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Vandecasteele, Petra; Godard, Paul (2008). In Celebration of Fynbos. Struik. pp. 54–55. ISBN 1-77007-490-2.
- ^ "National Pest Plant Accord" (PDF). Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. 2008. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Wickens, G. E. (1998). Ecophysiology of economic plants in arid and semi-arid lands. Springer. p. 204. ISBN 3-540-52171-2.
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| Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
| Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cotyledon_orbiculata&oldid=613917719 |
The vividly coloured flowers of the dog's ears, which appear in September until December (2), advertise the plant to birds and bees, which flit from flower to flower as they feed on the rich nectar (7). Pollination is believed to be carried out by sunbirds (8), a group of birds with narrow, pointed, downward curving bills (9), suited to probing flowers for nectar. While light is essential for plants, excess light can be damaging. Under the bright southern African sun, the dog's ears plant has evolved a mechanism to protect itself against damaging excess light. The leaves produce wax that reduces absorption by up to 50 percent, by increasing the reflective properties of the leaves (10). The wax produced by the leaf also helps prevent uncontrollable water loss (11), an important measure for plants growing in warm, dry conditions. Dog's ears plants also have properties which make them valued by humans. The succulent leaves of the dog's ears are used medicinally, for the treatment of warts and abscesses (8), and when heated, the leaves form a substance used to treat boils and inflammations, particularly earache (7). Surprisingly however, animals that graze on this seemingly innocent plant may suffer from cramps, resulting occasionally in death (5).
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
| Source | http://www.arkive.org/dogs-ears/cotyledon-orbiculata/ |
The dog's ears plant, well known to many gardeners, has handsome greyish-green leaves, with a red or pale margin (2) (5). The leaves are thick and succulent, and vary in shape from flat and rounded to almost finger-like (5). The flowers of this shrub, which hang down from the stem, are tubular structures with petals that curve out at the tip (2) (5). These bell-like flowers vary in colour, and may be deep red, pale orange or pink (6). The tall stems that bear the flowers were once used as flutes by early hunters, to mimic the call of a young klipspringer to lure adults within range of their arrows (5).
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
| Source | http://www.arkive.org/dogs-ears/cotyledon-orbiculata/ |
United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
| Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Cotyledon+orbiculata |
Chile Central
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Pablo Gutierrez, IABIN |
| Source | No source database. |
This species has an extensive distribution, from south-western Angola and Namibia to South Africa. In South Africa it occurs from the Cape Peninsula across the southern Karoo and Free State into the eastern provinces (6).
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
| Source | http://www.arkive.org/dogs-ears/cotyledon-orbiculata/ |
The dog's ears plant grows on sandy or stony soils in coastal and inland scrub (2) (5).
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008 |
| Source | http://www.arkive.org/dogs-ears/cotyledon-orbiculata/ |
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 6
Species With Barcodes: 1