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Synonyms: |
Lippia strobiliformis Moldenke |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
A many-stemmed perennial herb up to 1.5 m high but often more stunted due to regular fires, growing from a woody rootstock; leaves aromatic when crushed. Stems erect, 4-angled, strigose with bulbous-based whitish hairs. Leaves usually opposite, rarely 3-whorled, ovate or ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, up to 12.5 cm long, much smaller on the branches, scabrid above with whitish tubercle-based hairs, densely pubescent and less scabrid beneath, the hairs longer and denser on the veins, with numerous sessile glands; midrib prominent beneath, veining impressed above; margin serrate-crenate or minutely crenate, except at the base; petiole 2–10 mm long. Inflorescences densely many-flowered, at the apices of stems and branches, often also in the axils of the upper leaves, 1.5–3.8 cm in diameter, somewhat hemispherical in flower, ovoid-oblong in fruit; peduncles 1–7 cm long, shortest in the terminal inflorescences; lower bracts ovate, ovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, 7–10 mm and longer than the flowers, progressively smaller upwards, green or pale green, more or less densely appressed-pubescent and minutely glandular outside. Calyx 2-lobed, c. 1.5 mm long, uniformly white-hispid. Corolla slightly to strongly scented, white with yellow throat or pink to lilac. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | Among grasses in damp ground, often in Brachystegia woodland. |
Altitude range: | 830 - 2350 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. |
Malawi distribution: | N,C,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 2 January 2021 |
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 283. (Includes a picture). Fernandes, R. (2005). Verbenaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(7) Pages 32 - 34. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 101. |
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