Home | > | List of cultivated families | > | Rubiaceae | > | Otiophora | > | caerulea |
Synonyms: |
Otiophora pulchella De Wild. Pentanisia caerulea Hiern |
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Common names: | ||
Description: | Erect, multi-stemmed perennial herb growing from a large woody rootstock; stems 10-45 cm long, usually unbranched, with 2 rows of hairs or occasionally hairy all over; leaves decussate or sometimes appearing whorled, lamina (18)25-55(80) x 2-12(15) mm, elliptic-lanceolate to linear, sometimes ovate, glabrous; inflorescence several- to many-flowered, head-like, 1-2.5(4) cm in diameter; calyx enlarged, foliaceous lobe(s) 1(2), 5-10 x 1-2.5 mm, linear to (elliptic) lanceolate, mostly glabrous; corolla blue to mauve or pinkish-mauve, tube (5)7-12 mm. long, filiform, glabrous, lobes (4)5-6 x 0.7-1 mm. lanceolate, sometimes a little hairy outside; filaments (3)4-5 mm. long, glabrous, anthers c. 1 mm. long; style 8-14 mm. long, stigma lobes 1-3 mm. long; fruit yellowish brown to dark-brown, subglobose; seeds dark brown, 1.2-2.5 mm. in diameter, subglobose with the dorsal side somewhat keeled. | |
Notes: | ||
Derivation of specific name: | caerulea: blue, in reference to the flower colour. | |
Flowering time: | Sep - Mar | |
Worldwide distribution: | Tanzania and Burundi south through DRC, Zambia and Malawi and west to Angola. | |
Growth form(s): | ||
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. Verdcourt, B. (1988). Rubiaceae, Part 1 Flora Zambesiaca 5(1) Page 147. |
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