Otiophora villicaulis Mildbr.
var. villicaulis

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Thazima Gate, Nyika National Park

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Synonyms:	Otiophora latifolia Verdc. Otiophora villicaulis Mildbr. var. villosa (Verdc.) Verdc.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb with tufted stems or mat-forming from a woody rootstock. Stems up to 15 cm long rarely longermostly subprocumbent, densely hairy. Leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate, elliptic to almost round, 1-2.5 cm long, more or less densely hairy; margin entire; petiole absent or up to 1 mm long; stipules asheath with 3-5 filiform setae up to 2mm long. Inflorescences head-like, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, several-flowered. Calyx with 1 or 2 enlarged leaf-like lobes. ovate-lanceolate 1-2 mm long, other lobes minute. Corolla blueish-lilac, mauve or red; tube 4-6 mm long; lobes ovate-lanceolate, 1.5-3 mm long; stamens and style well exserted. Fruit yellowish-brown with mericarps 1.5-2 mm long.
Notes:	In this variety the stems are densely hairy all over. Var. iringensis are generally less densely but intermediates are known from Malawi.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	In open or wooded grassland often in disturbed places, bare patches or fire breaks etc.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, DRC, Burundi, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, Malawi 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:	Thursday 3 August 2023
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. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 90. as Otiophora villicaulis Verdcourt, B. (1988). Rubiaceae, Part 1 Flora Zambesiaca 5(1) Pages 148 - 149. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Otiophora villicaulis var. villicaulis:

Our websites:

Flora of Zambia: Otiophora villicaulis var. villicaulis

External websites:

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