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Synonyms: |
Commelina bianoensis De Wild. |
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Description: |
Perennial or sometimes annual herb with tufted, ascending to erect shoots 20-50 cm high; roots thin, orange, spreading horizontally. Leaves sessile, sheathing up to 3 cm at the base, mostly green, sometimes purplish or purple striped, linear to lanceolate-oblong, 2-9.5 cm long; margins scabrid, usually ciliate. Spathes usually solitary, sometimes almost clustered, slightly falcate, 1.4-2.7 cm long and 1.1-1.6 cm high; margins fused 8-15 mm, usually 10-15-flowered; peduncles 1-5 cm long, rarely longer. Flowers bisexual and male, 15-22 mm wide; paired petals violet, lavender or yellow-orange to apricot, ovate to kidney-shaped with a violet-purple or reddish claw 4-7 mm long; lower petal minute, ovate, whitish. Capsules bivalved, 5-6.5 mm long, pale yellow to medium brown, sometimes with dark spots, 4-seeded. |
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Flowering time: | Feb - Jun |
Worldwide distribution: | DRC, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. |
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Endemic status: | |
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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 294. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 15. Faden, R. (2012). Commelinaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 229 - 230. 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 86. Moriarty, A. (1975). Wild Flowers of Malawi Purnell & sons Cape Town. Pages 37 - 38. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 108. |
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