Melanospermum foliosum (Benth.) Hilliard

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Melanospermum foliosum

Photo: Tony Benn
Gaborone West extension 6

Melanospermum foliosum

Photo: Tony Benn
Gaborone West extension 6

Melanospermum foliosum

Photo: Tony Benn
Gaborone West extension 6

Melanospermum foliosum

Photo: Tony Benn
Gaborone West extension 6

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

Synonyms: Polycarena discolor Schinz
Polycarena foliosa Benth.
Polycarena transvaalensis auct. non Hiern
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Erect herb, up to 16 cm high, minutely glandular-pubescent occasionally sparsely mixed with whitish hairs. Leaves opposite, sometimes alternate above; lower leaves obovate to broadly elliptic-lanceolate, 7–17 mm long, tapering to a petiole-like base; upper leaves linear to lanceolate-linear, 4.5–20 mm long; magins entire to laxly dentate. Flowers sessile to subsessile in short, terminal, spherical or slightly elongated heads. Bracts oblong, 1.6–2.4 mm long. Calyx 1.9–2.2 mm long, deeply 5-lobed. Corolla white to pale pinkish-mauve with yellow-orange throat; tube up to 2 mm long, widening at mouth; lobes broadly obovate, c. 1.5 mm long. Capsule c. 2.5 mm long.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: foliosum: leafy
Habitat: In grassland, mostly on Kalahari sand.
Altitude range: (metres) 1000 - 1500 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mpumalanga South Africa.
Zimbabwe distribution: W
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: Wednesday 18 March 2020
Literature:

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 78.

Philcox, D. (1990). Scrophulariaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(2) Pages 25 - 26. As Polycarena transvaalensis (Includes a picture).

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 104.


Other sources of information about Melanospermum foliosum:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Melanospermum foliosum

External websites:

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


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: Melanospermum foliosum.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=151200, retrieved 19 March 2024

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