Home | > | List of families | > | Acanthaceae | > | Thunbergia | > | alata |
Synonyms: |
Thunbergia bikamaensis De Wild. Thunbergia fuscata Lindau Thunbergia kamatembica Mildbr. Thunbergia manganjensis Lindau Thunbergia nymphaeifolia Lindau |
Common names: | Black-eyed susan (English) |
Frequency: | Locally frequent |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Trailing or twining annual or perennial herb with one to several stems, up to 3 m long, sparsely to densely white to yellow hairy, growing from a woody rootstock when perennial. Leaves opposite, triangular-ovate, 2.5-10.5 cm long,usually with hastate to rounded basal lobes, base running down into broad wings on the petiole; margin entire or coarsely toothed. Flowers axillary, solitary or in pairs. Corolla 5-lobed pale yellow to deep orange with a deep purple to almost black throat; lobes broadly emarginate; tube 3-6 mm long, straight or curved. |
Notes: | Not recorded as a native plant in the Central Division of Zimbabwe, but it is commonly cultivated in gardens. The record from Ruwa is of a well-naturalised plant some way from any garden. |
Derivation of specific name: | alata: winged, presumably referring to the prominent wings on the petioles |
Habitat: | In a wide range of habitats, often in disturbed or secondary places. |
Altitude range: (metres) | Up to 2200 m |
Flowering time: | Dec - Aug |
Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in tropical Africa, Madagascar, India and Southeast Asia; introduced in Tropical America. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,C,E,S |
Growth form(s): | Climber. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | Junonia orithya madagascariensis (Food plant) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Sunday 1 September 2013 |
Literature: |
Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 189. (Includes a picture). Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 134 - 135. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 54. (Includes a picture). Champluvier, D. (1985). Acanthaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume III Page 489. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 55. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 20. 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 15. Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 19. (Includes a picture). Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 129, plate 170 Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 19. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 35. Vollesen, K. (2013). Acanthaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 8(5) Pages 31 - 33. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 87. |
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