Commelina aspera Benth.
var. aspera

Images: None on this site.

Detailed records: Display species records QDS maps by: Google Maps Point records by Google Maps

Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Commelina aspera Benth. var. firma C.B. Clarke
Commelina firma (C.B. Clarke) Rendle
Cyanotis hirsuta Baker
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Sparsely branched annual herb with decumbent, ascending or erect stems up to c. 30 cm tall. Leaves mostly clustered at the ends of shoots, sessile, linear-oblong to oblong elliptic, 3-13 cm long, pubescence variable but often more or less pilose on both surfaces. Inflorescences in clusters at the ends of main and lateral shoots. Spathes, up to 2 cm long, partly fused. Petals orange or pale apricot to white, 4.5-4.8 mm wide with a mauve claw 2-2.8 mm long. Capsules 3-locular, obovoid, up to 5 mm long, pale yellow.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: aspera: rough
Habitat: In woodland, grassland, on roadside banks and in shallow soils in rock crevices.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Widespread from Ghana to Uganda and Tanzania and South to Botswana and Namibia.
Zimbabwe distribution: N,W,C
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 294.

Faden, R. (2012). Commelinaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 236 - 237.

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 86.

Moriarty, A. (1975). Wild Flowers of Malawi Purnell & sons Cape Town. Pages 37 - 38. as Commelina aspera (Includes a picture).

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 117.

Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 82.


Other sources of information about Commelina aspera var. aspera:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Commelina aspera var. aspera
Flora of Malawi: Commelina aspera var. aspera
Flora of Mozambique: Commelina aspera var. aspera
Flora of Zambia: Commelina aspera var. aspera

External websites:

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


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: Species information: Commelina aspera var. aspera.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=112580, retrieved 28 March 2024

Site software last modified: 26 March 2018 2:01pm (GMT +2)
Terms of use