Entry From Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (2008) Author: S.A. GHAZANFAR, F.N. HEPPER & D. PHILCOX
Contributor Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Resource Type Reference Sources
Range
DISTR. T 4, 5, 7
Information Annual 10–50 cm high, erect; stems simple or much branched, glabrescent or strigose to hispid (often hairy in longitudinal stripes), and ± verrucose. Leaves linear, 1–8 cm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, the lower ones rudimentary; margins usually entire or rarely with a few distant teeth; venation inconspicuous or a single midrib present in well developed leaves, strigose to hispid or glabrescent. Inflorescence a spike or raceme; bracteoles usually absent, if present filiform, 1–3 mm long, variously inserted on the pedicels; pedicels 0–1 mm long. Calyx campanulate, broadly so in fruit; tube 2–3 mm long, ribbed, sparsely hispid or in fruiting stage glabrescent; lobes (4–)5, narrowly triangular to linear, equal, 11–23 mm long, scabrous along the margins and midribs. Corolla white or cream; tube straight, 15–22 mm long, gibbous or not, glandular outside; limb 8–16 mm in diameter. Filaments of the shorter pair of stamens 1.5–2 mm long, those of the longer pair 3–4 mm long; anthers 1.8–2 mm long, apiculate. Ovary compressed, ovoid, 2–3 mm long; style 5–7 mm long, including the 2–3 mm long compressed stigma. Capsule ± ovoid, obliquely beaked, 3–6 mm long; distal suture of beak 7–14 mm long; winged and dehiscent along upper suture only. Seeds 0.7–1 mm long, reticulate or reticulate-tuberculate.