About Didelta spinosa (L.fil.) Aiton
Didelta spinosa (L.fil.) Aiton is a member of the Asteraceae family. It is a woody shrub or small tree that is endemic to Southern Africa, growing along the West Coast from Saldanha Bay in the south, across the Gariep, into the south-western corner of Namibia. This drought-resistant species reaches 2–3 meters in height, and prefers to grow on dry, rocky slopes. It was introduced to Europe by Thunberg and Masson. Its leaves are opposite, shiny, and shaped oval to elliptic, with margins that roll under (revolute) and bear irregular spine-tipped teeth; young leaves and twigs have a somewhat felted texture. Its flowers feature an outer row of unusually large, leaf-like bracts with mucronate (pointed) apices, which turn membranous as they age. Its fruits develop in cells fringed with spines. Flowering occurs from midwinter to early spring. Only two species are recognized in the genus Didelta, with the other being Didelta carnosa. Recent phylogenetic studies have placed the genus Didelta and Berkheya spinosissima in the same clade. The beetle Julodis viridipes has been recorded feeding on Didelta spinosa foliage, while the nematodes Scutellonema brachyurus, Paratrichodorus meyeri, and Xiphinema loteni are closely associated with this species.
