Home | > | List of families | > | Acanthaceae | > | Blepharis | > | diversispina |
Synonyms: |
Acanthodium diversispinum Nees Blepharis grisea S. Moore Blepharis pruinosa sensu Obermeyer in part, non Engl. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Erect or decumbent shrubby perennial herb, up to 1 m tall, sometimes cushion-forming. Leaves lanceolate, elliptic or slightly obovate, 2-6.5 cm long, more or less densely appressed hairy; margin with up to 20 triangular mucronate teeth on each side. Some leaf axils with rigid spines. Spikes 2-10-flowered, 1.5-5.5 cm long. Lower bracts modified into 2-4 pairs of straw-coloured spines, up to 25 mm long. Bracts more or less broadly elliptic-obovate with conspicuous transverse veins, more or less densely hairy, 15-34 mm long, spine-tip recurved, 5-16 mm long with 1-7 narrow spines on each side of the margin. Corolla pale to deep blue or dark mauve, rarely creamy-white with blue veins, 20-33 mm long; lip broadly spathulate hairy below, 10-22 mm wide, central lobe wider than long, more or less truncate, somewhat narrowing towards the base. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | diversispina: with diverse, different spines |
Habitat: | On sandy and gravelly soils in various types of deciduous woodland, such as Brachystegia, Acacia, Combretum-Terminalia and Mopane woodland. Also in grassland, often in overgrazed and disturbed areas. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 690 - 1150 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E,S |
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: | Sunday 29 November 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 13. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 17. Also as Blepharis pruinosa Vollesen, K. (2000). Blepharis (Acanthaceae). A taxonomic revision. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pages 136 - 140. (Includes a picture). Vollesen, K. (2013). Acanthaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 8(5) Pages 69 - 70. |
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