| Synonyms: |
Barleri affinis De Wild. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | Occasional |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Suffrutex with several decumbent or creeping stems 15–30 cm long from a woody rootstock; stems hispid, hairs (buff-)golden, ascending or spreading. Leaves subsessile, oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, 4–9.5 × 1.2–3 cm, base cuneate, apex acute or lower leaves obtuse, with numerous (buff-)golden hispid hairs on margin and midrib only or evenly distributed on both surfaces. Inflorescence terminal, sometimes also in uppermost leafy axils, densely spiciform or subcapitate, 2–5.5 cm long, each axil single-flowered or lowermost axils 2–3-flowered; bracts oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, sometimes flushed purple distally or throughout, 9.5–15.5 × 1.5–4.5 mm (basal pairs to 23 × 7.5 mm), base cuneate, apex acute, ± densely glandular-pilose; bracteoles as bracts but (elliptic-)oblanceolate to linear, 9–14.5 × 1–2 mm, glandular hairs more numerous; flowers sessile. Calyx often flushed purple at least towards apex, pale at base. Corolla 17–22 mm long, white, pink, lilac or bright blue, with or without purple guidelines, lateral lobes sparsely pubescent externally; tube cylindrical, 9.5–11.5 mm long; limb in 2+3 arrangement, abaxial lobe 6–10.5 × 4.5–7 mm; lateral lobes 7–10.5 × 3–6 mm; adaxial pair fused for 0.7–5 mm, free portions oblanceolate to subulate, 4.5–10 × 1.5–4 mm. Capsule c.14.5 mm long, puberulous. |
| Type location: |
Zambia |
| Notes: | ‘Rather scarce and known only from seven collections; certainly rare in the Mbala region of Zambia with only a single specimen seen; probably threatened’ |
| Derivation of specific name: | |
| Habitat: | Brachystegia woodlands |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 1100 - 1500 m |
| Flowering time: | Apr - Jun |
| Worldwide distribution: | Zambia, DRC and Angola |
| FZ divisions: | B,N,W |
| Zambian distribution (Provinces): | Nw,N,W |
| Growth form(s): | Shrub under 2 m. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Tuesday 25 July 2023 |
| Literature: |
Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2015). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 8(6) Pages 107 - 108. |