Boerhavia coccinea Mill.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Mubvee (Hippo) Lodge, Mana Pools National Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
Mutirikwi Bridge near Triangle.

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Synonyms:	Boerhavia bracteata Cooke Boerhavia diffusa L. var. hirsuta Heimerl. Boerhavia diffusa L.. var. viscosa (Lag. & Rodr.) Heimerl. Boerhavia viscosa Lag. & Rodr.
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Description:	Annual or perennial herb. Stems spreading prostrate or ascending up to several meters long, more or less densely glandular pubescent and sticky. Leaves ovate, elliptic or almost circular, up to 5.5 × 5 cm, glandular pubescent on the veins or mostly hairless except for longer hairs along the veins and margins; petiole up to 4 cm long, glandular pubescent. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, sometimes branched, fairly short and dense to fairly lax. Flowers in clusters of 3-many, white, pink, magenta or mauve. Stamens and style up to 4.5 mm long, exserted. Fruits 3-4 mm long, clavate-fusiform with a rounded apex, 5-ribbed, smooth, usually glandular pubescent.
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Derivation of specific name:	coccinea: scarlet
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Worldwide distribution:	Pantropical.
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Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 6. As Boerhavia coccinea coccinea Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 178. (Includes a picture). 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 64. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 81. Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 84. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 89. Stannard, B.L. (1988). Nyctaginaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(1) Pages 22 - 24. (Includes a picture).

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Flora of Botswana: Boerhavia coccinea
Flora of Malawi: Boerhavia coccinea
Flora of Mozambique: Boerhavia coccinea
Flora of Zambia: Boerhavia coccinea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Boerhavia coccinea

External websites:

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