Blepharis maderaspatensis (L.) Roth

Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (24)

Photo: Bart Wursten
Pokoteke Gorge, near Masvingo

Photo: Bart Wursten
Ngomakurira, Chinhamora CL.

Detailed records: Display species records QDS maps by: Google Maps Point records by Google Maps

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

Synonyms:	Acanthus maderaspatensis L. Blepharis abyssinica Hochst. Blepharis boerhaviifolia Pers. Blepharis boerhaviifolia Pers. var. micrantha Sond. Blepharis boerhaviifolia Pers. var. nigrovenulosa De Wild. & T. Durand Blepharis gueinzii T. Anderson Blepharis maderaspatanus (L.) Roth var. abyssinica (Hochst.) Fiori, Boschi & Piante Blepharis maderaspatensis (L.) Roth subsp. rubiifolia (Schum.) Napper Blepharis teaguei Oberm.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Procumbent or scrambling perennial or rarely annual herb. Stems up to 2.5 m long, sometimes rooting at the nodes, often finely hairy. Leaves ovate, elliptic or slightly obovate, 2-10 cm long, more or less hairy, particularly along the veins, often greyish below; margin entire or with a few scattered teeth. Flowers solitary or in clusters of up to 15 flowers. Bracts greenish-brown, sometimes with purple veins, elliptic-obovate to almost round, puberescent to almost hairless, ending in a recurved bristle with 4-10 barbed bristles, up to 7 mm long, on each side of the margin. Corolla white or cream, with mauve or purple veins, 10-27 mm long; lip oblong-obovate, 4-13 mm wide, lobes more or less of same length, central lobe narrower than side lobes.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	maderaspatensis: from the Madras region of India
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa, South Africa, Madagascar and extending to Asia
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Champluvier, D. (1985). Acanthaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume III Pages 441 - 443. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 9. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 6. 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 18. Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Namibia Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 73. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 326. (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 13. as subsp maderaspatensis and subsp. rubiifolia Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 18. Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 14. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 17. Vollesen, K. (2000). Blepharis (Acanthaceae). A taxonomic revision. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pages 198 - 206. (Includes a picture). Vollesen, K. (2013). Acanthaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 8(5) Pages 74 - 76. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Blepharis maderaspatensis:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Blepharis maderaspatensis
Flora of Caprivi: Blepharis maderaspatensis
Flora of the DRC: Blepharis maderaspatensis
Flora of Malawi: Blepharis maderaspatensis
Flora of Mozambique: Blepharis maderaspatensis
Flora of Rwanda: Blepharis maderaspatensis
Flora of Zambia: Blepharis maderaspatensis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Blepharis maderaspatensis

External websites:

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