Neuracanthus africanus T. Anderson ex S. Moore

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Lower slopes Mt Bunga, northwestern Gorongosa National Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hwali River bridge

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Synonyms:	Barleria sacani Klotzsch ex Lindau Neuracanthus africanus T. Anderson ex S. Moore var. limpopoensis Bidgood & Brummitt
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrubby perennial herb with erect or decumbent stems up to 1.5 m long. Leaves opposite, sessile or shortly petiolate, subpandurate, constricted in the lower third of the leaf, hairless or with scattered hairs above, pubescent along the veins below; margin entire, sometimes slightly wavy. Flowers in short spike-like axillary inflorescences, 2-6 cm long, with overlapping bracts, 5-11 mm long, with evenly spaced darker veins and long straight hairs on the margin. Corolla, 9-12 mm long, funnel-shaped, white with purple-blue lines in the throat. Capsule 7-10 mm long.
Notes:	Formerly, in Bidgood and Brummitt (1998)'s revision of the genus Neuracanthus, split into two varieties: var. africanus, recorded for the north and west of Zimbabwe and var. limpopoensis in the south; however these have been sunk in FZ 8(6), p. 11.
Derivation of specific name:	africanus: African
Habitat:	In mopane woodland or scrub on sandy or loamy soil.
Altitude range: (metres)	325 - 1100 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widely separated populations in Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Limpopo, South Africa.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,S
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Bidgood, S. & Brummitt, R.K. (1998). A revision of the genus Neuracanthus (Acanthaceae) Kew Bulletin 53(1) Pages 31 - 39. (Includes a picture). Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2015). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 8(6) Pages 10 - 11. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 14. As subsp. africanus and subsp. limpopoensis Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 19.

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Flora of Malawi: Neuracanthus africanus
Flora of Mozambique: Neuracanthus africanus
Flora of Zambia: Neuracanthus africanus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Neuracanthus africanus
African Plant Database: Neuracanthus africanus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Neuracanthus africanus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Neuracanthus africanus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Neuracanthus africanus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Neuracanthus africanus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Neuracanthus africanus
JSTOR Plant Science: Neuracanthus africanus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Neuracanthus africanus
Plants of the World Online: Neuracanthus africanus
Tropicos: Neuracanthus africanus
Wikipedia: Neuracanthus africanus