Home | > | List of families | > | Rubiaceae | > | Pentas | > | purpurea |
Synonyms: |
Pentas stolzii K. Schum. & K. Krause |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | frequent |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Erect perennial herb, up to 1.3m tall, with 1-4 unbranched stems growing from a woody rootstock, occurring in various types of grassland and open woodland. Leaves opposite, 3-15 cm long, oblong-lanceolate, elliptic or ovate, pubescent above and bristly hairy on the veins below; petiole very short or absent. Flowers in spherical heads, pale to deep purple-blue. Fruit a capsule, c. 4 × 3 mm, with a short blunt beak. |
Notes: | Image 4 shows a specimen with an unusually lax, branched inflorescence, more typical for P. zanzibarica. |
Derivation of specific name: | purpurea: purple |
Habitat: | In various types of grassland and open woodland. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 780 - 2100 m |
Flowering time: | Nov - Jan |
Worldwide distribution: | Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
Zimbabwe distribution: | C,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: | Thursday 10 August 2017 |
Literature: |
Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 112 - 113. (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 248. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 43. As Pentas purpurea 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 73. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 166. Verdcourt, B. (1988). Rubiaceae, Part 1 Flora Zambesiaca 5(1) Pages 76 - 77. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 99. |
Home | > | List of families | > | Rubiaceae | > | Pentas | > | purpurea |