Home | > | List of families | > | Santalaceae | > | Thesium | > | nigricans |
Synonyms: |
Thesium scabridulum A. W. Hill |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Locally common |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Much-branched, perennial herb. Stems erect, decumbent or scrambling, 0.3-1 m high, ribbed, leafy. Leaves ascending-recurved to spreading, linear, apiculate, 7-20 mm long, decurrent into the ribs of the stems and branches, smaller towards the top and merging into the bracts. Inflorescences with c 20 flowers; bracts leaf-like; bracteoles minute, falling early. Flowers white or yellowish-green, tubular, 4.5-6.5 mm long. Fruit 6-7 mm long. Flowers solitary in axils of bracts, 1-6 together forming small terminal racemes on the branchlets, the whole forming a profusely branched panicle. Bracts linear, 3-12.5 mm long, leaf-like, adnate to almost the entire pedicel. Bracteoles 2, similar to bracts but smaller. Pedicels 0.5-3 mm long or sometimes flowers sessile. Perianth pale-yellowish-green or whitish; lobes usually 5, hairless. Fruit 1.8-2.5 mm long, light yellowish-brown to red-brown with faintly raised ribs and reticulations. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | In montane scrub and along margins of forest, sometimes in Brachystegia woodland |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1150 - 2500 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Southern Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Saturday 12 January 2019 |
Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 55. Goodier, R. & Phipps, J.B. (1961). A revised checklist of the vascular plants of the Chimanimani Mountains Kirkia 1 Page 55. Hilliard, O.M. (2006). Santalaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(3) Pages 213 - 215. (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 76. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 172. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 99. |
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