Scoparia dulcis L.

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Scoparia dulcis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Kotu Bridge, Serrekunda, The Gambia

Scoparia dulcis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Kotu Bridge, Serrekunda, The Gambia

Scoparia dulcis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Kotu Bridge, Serrekunda, The Gambia

Scoparia dulcis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Kotu Bridge, Serrekunda, The Gambia

Scoparia dulcis

Photo: Bart Wursten
Kotu Bridge, Serrekunda, The Gambia

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

Synonyms:
Common names: Sweet broomweed (English)
Frequency:
Status: Introduced and naturalized
Description:
Erect, much-branched, shrubby perennial herb, up to c. 60 cm tall; stems and branches angled or ribbed. Leaves usually in whorls of 3 or sometimes opposite, narrowly oblanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1.2-5 cm long, hairless but densely punctate beneath; margin crenate to sometimes deeply serrate in the upper half. Flowers solitary or sometimes paired in the axils of leaf-like bracts, together forming many-flowered, raceme-like inflorescences; pedicels up to 7 mm long. Calyx 4-lobed, 1.5-2.5 mm long. Corolla 2.5-3.5 mm long, white to pale pinkish-mauve, with long white hairs in the throat. Fruit a capsule, 2-3.5 mm long, pale brown when ripe.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat: A weed of wastelands, cultivated fields and grazed grasslands.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Native and widespread in Tropical and subtropical America; an introduced and naturalized weed in most of tropical Africa, Arabia and Asia.
Malawi distribution: S
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: Saturday 28 January 2023
Literature:

Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 157.

Philcox, D. (1990). Scrophulariaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(2) Pages 77 - 78. (Includes a picture).

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 98.

Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 176.

Other sources of information about Scoparia dulcis:

Our websites:

Flora of Mozambique: Scoparia dulcis
Flora of Zambia: Scoparia dulcis

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Scoparia dulcis.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=170670, retrieved 29 March 2024

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