Home | > | List of families | > | Euphorbiaceae | > | Tragia | > | mazoensis |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Local |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Erect perennial herb, up to 40 cm high, with several stems growing from a woody rootstock. Nettle-like, irritating and painful to the skin when touched. Leaves linear-lanceiolate, 1-4 cm long, 3-5-veined from the base, sparsely velvety on both surfaces and with irritant bristles on the midrib and main veins beneath; margin entire or with a few apical teeth; petiole 1-2 mm long or leaves subsessile. Flowers unisexual on different plants. Male inflorescences terminal, up to 9 cm long; female inflorescences leaf-opposed, up to 4 cm long. Fruit 6 × 8 mm, 3-lobed, smooth, densely covered in stinging bristles. |
Notes: | Closely related to T. lukafuensis from Zambia, differing mainly in the leaf margins being entire or sparsely toothed near the apex. |
Derivation of specific name: | mazoensis: of the Mazoe area in northern Zimbabwe. |
Habitat: | Restricted to the northern Great Dyke, on open grassy hillsides, often associated with termite mounds. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1200 - 1500 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Northern Zimbabwe only |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | Endemic |
Red data list status: | Data deficient |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Saturday 2 March 2013 |
Literature: |
Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 180. Mapaura, A. (2002). Endemic Plant Species of Zimbabwe. Kirkia 18(1) Page 140. 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 43. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 220 - 222. (Includes a picture). |
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