7191.010 Rotheca Raf.

Clarke, H. & Charters, M. (ed. Moll, E.) (2016) The Illustrated Dictionary of Southern African Plant Names Jacana Media, South Africa

Fernandes, R.B. & Verdcourt, B. (2000) Rotheca (Lamiacae) Revived: More New Combinations Kew Bulletin 55(1) 147-154

Description of the genus

Suffrutices, shrubs or small trees. Leaves usually in whorls. Inflorescence a usually lax cyme. Calyx often red or purple, lobed to half its length or less, with 4-6 lobes. Flower bud markedly asymmetric; corolla expanding abruptly on lower side only; anterior corolla lobe frequently much larger than the other 4. Corolla pale to deep blue, occasionally white or yellow. Anthers usually basifixed. Stigma lobes frequently unequal. Fruit a 4-lobed or -furrowed drupe with 4 pyrenes.

Derivation of name: Latinised version of tsjerou-Theka, a Malayalam name meaning "little teak"

Worldwide: c. 35 species in tropical and southern Africa

Zimbabwe: 8 taxa.

Rotheca myricoides

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
amplifolia (S. Moore) R. Fern.E
cyanea (R. Fern) R. Fern.E
hirsuta (Hochst.) R. Fern.EDescription, Image
myricoides (Hochst.) D.A. Steane & Mabb.N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
reflexa (H. Pearson) R. Fern.N,W,C
teaguei (Hutch.) R. Fern.[NrEnd]E
verdcourtii (R. Fern.) R. Fern.[NrEnd]E
wildii (Moldenke) R. Fern.N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Rotheca:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Rotheca
Flora of Caprivi: Rotheca
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Rotheca
Flora of Malawi: Rotheca
Flora of Mozambique: Rotheca
Flora of Zambia: Rotheca

External websites:

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

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Genus page: Rotheca.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1213, retrieved 19 March 2024

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