Pavonia burchellii (DC.) R.A.Dyer

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Pavonia burchellii

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hwale River bridge

Pavonia burchellii

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hwale River bridge

Pavonia burchellii

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hwale River bridge

Pavonia burchellii

Photo: Bart Wursten
Nr upper dam, Hillside Dams, Bulawayo

Pavonia burchellii

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along entrance road to Nhambo cottages, Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge.

Pavonia burchellii

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along entrance road to Nhambo cottages, Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge.

Pavonia burchellii

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along entrance road to Nhambo cottages, Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge.

Pavonia burchellii

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along entrance road to Nhambo cottages, Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge.

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

Synonyms: Pavonia macrophylla E. Mey. ex Harv.
Pavonia patens (Andr.) Chiov.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Soft shrubby perennial, often with straggling stems, up to c. 1 m tall. Leaves ovate-pentagonal in outline, up to 8 × 7 cm, angled to shallowly 3-5 lobed, stellate pubescent on both surfaces, usually more densely and paler below, deeply cordate at the base, basal lobes often overlapping; margin crenate-serrate. Flowers creamy-white to deep orange-yellow, sometimes with a purple-red centre. Epicalyx of 5(6) widely spreading bracts, 7-11 mm long, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 5-veined, stellate-pubescent, green at flowering time, turning brown and dry in fruit.
Type location:
Notes: The taxonomy of these plants has long been unstable with both Pavonia burchellii and P. procumbens being lumped together under the name P. procumbens and even both names as synonyms under P. patens. Following the most recent thinking all material from the Flora Zambesiaca region falls under P. burchellii, which is widespread in Africa, while P. procumbens is more restricted to North-East Africa as well as India and Pakistan. See World Flora Online P. burchellii and World Flora Online P. procumbens
Derivation of specific name: procumbens: with stems lying along the ground; procumbent but note that the species is often more or less erect.
Habitat: In a variety of drier wooded habitats, often on sandy or rocky soils, mostly growing in the shade of trees, bush clumps or boulders.
Altitude range: (metres) Up to 1500 m
Flowering time:Oct - Mar
Worldwide distribution: From Eritrea and Somalia through the drier parts of eastern tropical Africa to Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa
National distribution: 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 12 February 2015
Literature:

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 43. As Pavonia burchellii

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 28. As Pavonia burchellii

Exell, A.W. (1961). Malvaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2) Pages 507 - 508. As Pavonia patens

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 61.


Other sources of information about Pavonia burchellii:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Pavonia burchellii
Flora of Caprivi: Pavonia burchellii
Flora of Mozambique: Pavonia burchellii
Flora of Zambia: Pavonia burchellii
Flora of Zimbabwe: Pavonia burchellii

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-25

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2025). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Pavonia burchellii.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=139170, retrieved 20 May 2025

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