Spermacoce sphaerostigma (A. Rich.) Vatke

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Spermacoce sphaerostigma

Flower
Perennial wet dambo grassland
Munshimbwe area, Mporokoso District
Mar 2019
Photo: Nick Wightman

Spermacoce sphaerostigma

Flower
Perennial wet dambo grassland
Munshimbwe area, Mporokoso District
Mar 2019
Photo: Nick Wightman

Spermacoce sphaerostigma

Flower
Perennial wet dambo grassland
Munshimbwe area, Mporokoso District
Mar 2019
Photo: Nick Wightman

Spermacoce sphaerostigma

Habit
Perennial wet dambo grassland
Munshimbwe area, Mporokoso District
Mar 2019
Photo: Nick Wightman

Spermacoce sphaerostigma

Stem
Perennial wet dambo grassland
Munshimbwe area, Mporokoso District
Mar 2019
Photo: Nick Wightman

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

Synonyms: Arbulocarpus sphaerostigma (A. Rich.) Tennant
Hypodematium ampliatum A. Rich.
Hypodematium phaerostigma A. Rich.
Spermacoce ampliata (A. Rich) Oliv.
Spermacoce senensis sensu Hiern
Common names:
Frequency: Occasional
Status: Native
Description:
Annual erect herb 10-90 cm tall; stems unbranched to much-branched, sparsely to densely covered with spreading hairs; leaf blades 1-10 x 0.4-3.5 cm, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, acute at apex and cuneate at base, sparsely to distinctly hairy on both surfaces; flowers in clusters at apex and upper axils of stems; corolla white, blue, purple or white with blue streaks, tube funnel-shaped, 5-8.5 x 0.8 at base, 5 mm wide at the throat; lobes 3-4 x 1.5-2 mm, triangular, usually with some hairs outside at the apex; capsule ovoid, 3.5-4 x 2-3 mm, splitting from the base upwards but remaining in one piece.
Type location:
Ethiopia
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat: Tall grasslands, often in marshy places, Brachystegia woodland, cultivations and roadsides.
Altitude range: 600 - 1650 m
Flowering time:Feb - Mar
Worldwide distribution: Nigeria east to Ethiopia south to Mozambique and Zambia.
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): N,W,C,E
Zambian distribution (Provinces): Cb,N,C,E
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Wednesday 12 February 2020
Literature:

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 93.

Tennant, J.R. (1957). A New Name in Rubiaceae Kew Bulletin 12(3) Page 386. As Arbulocarpus sphaerostigma

Verdcourt, B. (1988). Rubiaceae, Part 1 Flora Zambesiaca 5(1) Pages 183 - 184.

Other sources of information about Spermacoce sphaerostigma:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Spermacoce sphaerostigma
Flora of Malawi: Spermacoce sphaerostigma
Flora of Mozambique: Spermacoce sphaerostigma

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-24

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2024). Flora of Zambia: Species information: Spermacoce sphaerostigma.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=172800, retrieved 19 March 2024

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