Compilation
Crossandra massaica

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Name

Identification
Crossandra massaica Mildbr. [family ACANTHACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Vollesen,K., Crossandra puberula C.B.Clarke [family ACANTHACEAE ]
Related name
  • Crossandra massaica
  • Crossandra puberula

Flora

Entry for Crossandra massaica Mildbr. [family ACANTHACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (2008) Author: Kaj Vollesen
Names
Crossandra massaica Mildbr. [family ACANTHACEAE], in J. Arn. Arb. 11: 54 (1930); F.P.N.A. 2: 294 (1947); T.T.C.L.: 6 (1949); Turrill in Bot. Mag. (n. s.) 174: t. 404 (1962); Heine in F.W.T.A. (ed. 2) 2: 409 (1963); Vollesen in K.B. 45: 511 (1990); Lebrun & Stork, Enum. Pl. Afr. Trop. 4: 476 (1997); Friis & Vollesen in Biol. Skr. 51(2): 440 (2005); Ensermu in F.E.E. 5: 365 (2006). Type: Kenya, Kikemu (probably misprint for Kisumu), Linder 2639 (B†, holo.; K!, iso.)
Crossandra undulaefolia [family ACANTHACEAE], [sensu Rendle in J.B. 34: 398 (1896), non Salisbury (1805)]
Crossandra puberula C.B.Clarke var. smithii [family ACANTHACEAE], in F.T.A. 5: 117 (1899). Types: Kenya, Northern Frontier District: Kulal to Marsabit, Donaldson Smith 401 (BM!, syn.) & Laikipia, Gregory s.n. (BM!, syn.)
Crossandra nilotica [family ACANTHACEAE], [sensu C.H. Wright in Johnstone, Uganda Protec.1: 341 (1902); Jex-Blake, Wild Fl. Kenya: 107 (1948); Blundell, Wild Fl. Kenya: 104, pl. 27 (1982); F. White, Veg. Afr.: 176 (1983); Blundell, Wild Fl. E. Afr.: 390, pl. 528 (1987), quoad distrib. Kenya, non Oliver (1875)]
Crossandra mucronata [family ACANTHACEAE], [sensu C.H. Wright in Johnstone, Uganda Protec.1: 341 (1902), non Lindau (1894)]
Crossandra nilotica (Mildbr.) Napper subsp. massaica [family ACANTHACEAE], in K. B. 24: 339 (1970); U.K.W.F.: 581 (1974); Burkill, Useful Pl. W. Trop. Afr. 1: 9 (1985)
Information
Erect or straggling to scandent shrubby herb to 1.3 m tall; young stems glabrous to finely sericeous-puberulous. Leaves in whorls of 4; sessile or petiole up to 1 cm long; lamina ovate to elliptic or narrowly so, largest 4–13≈1–4(–5) cm, apex acute to acuminate, the actual tip sometimes rounded, subglabrous to sparsely puberulous (rarely puberulous), densest on veins. Spikes 1–5(–7) cm long; peduncles (1–)2–16(–21) cm long, finely puberulous-sericeous or sparsely so; fertile bracts elliptic or narrowly so, 10–20≈3–9 mm, usually 2–3 times as long as wide, narrowing gradually to an acute tip with a straight mucro less than 0.5 mm long, finely puberulous or sparsely so and sparsely ciliate on edges, no stalked capitate glands, with 3–5 strong longitudinal veins and raised reticulum; bracteoles 9–16 mm long, finely puberulous and ciliate towards tip. Sepals acuminate, pilose-ciliate towards tip, glabrous or sparsely puberulous towards tip, no capitate glands, dorsal broadly elliptic, 5–8 mm long, ventral ovate-elliptic, 7–10 mm long, lateral 3–6 mm long. Corolla pale red to vermillion, crimson or orange-red; tube 17–25 mm long, straight, not infundibuliform apically; limb 8–15 mm long. Capsule 10–13 mm long. Seed ± 3.5≈3 mm.
Range
DISTR. U 1, 3; K 1–6; T 1
Altitude range
1100–2100 m
Distribution
KENYA Samburu District Ngare-Narok, 21 Dec. 1958, Newbould 3324!KENYA Laikipia District Laikipia, 12 May 1923, Battiscombe 1130!KENYA Masai District Mara Masai Reserve, Teleke River, 25 Feb. 1950, Bally 7751!TANZANIA Musoma District Banagi, Mugungu River, 3 Apr. 1961, Greenway 9967! & Zanaki, 20 June 1959, Tanner 4370! & Lobo Hill, 20 Dec. 1969, Ole Sayalel 11!UGANDA Karamoja District Kidepo National Park, 15 May 1972, Synnott 1052!UGANDA Busoga District Buswale, Siavona Hill, 26 Mar. 1953, G.H. Wood 652! & Lake Victoria, Berkeley Bay, Jan. 1894, Scott Elliot 7105!
Distribution (external)
Ghana
Sudan
Ethiopia
Notes
C. massaicais closely related toC. nilotica, and the two were treated as subspecies by Napper (l.c.). But the separating characters are quite constant, and I have seen no intermediate specimens. It is true that the two have almost allopatric distributions in Tanzania and SW Kenya, but in Uganda, Sudan, NW Kenya and Ethiopia there is a considerable overlap. They also seem to have more or less identical habitat preferences, and I find it preferable to treat them as two distinct species.

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