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Synonyms: |
Hedyotis herbacea L. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Annual or perennial herb with much-branched wiry stems, often intertwined. Leaves small, linear lanceolate. Flowers solitary or in pairs on longish stalks, axillary at the nodes, up to 5 mm in diameter, white or pale mauve. |
Type location: |
Sri Lanka |
Notes: | Three varieties occur in Zambia: Var. herbacea has shorter flowers, the corolla tube 2-3.5 mm in length; var. goetzei Bremek. has longer flowers, the corolla tube 5-11 mm in length.; var. papillosa (Chiov.) Bremek. also has shorter flowers but has the ovary and capsule shortly hairy or distinctly papillose. |
Derivation of specific name: | herbacea: herb-like or herbaceous; not woody |
Habitat: | In a wide variety of habitats, from dry woodland to damp grassland and seepage zones and roadsides. |
Altitude range: | Up to 1850 m |
Flowering time: | Sep - Mar |
Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in Africa and Asia, Madagascar and other Indian Ocean Islands. |
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): | B,N,W,C,S |
Zambian distribution (Provinces): | Cb,N,Lk,S,W |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 245. (Includes a picture). 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. as var. goetzei and var. herbacea Verdcourt, B. (1988). Rubiaceae, Part 1 Flora Zambesiaca 5(1) Pages 134 - 136. Wild, H. (1955). Common Rhodesian Weeds Government of Rhodesia, Salisbury Page 58. (Includes a picture). |
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