Compilation
Dipteracanthus sudanicus
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Name
Identification
Dipteracanthus sudanicus Schweinf. [family ACANTHACEAE ] Verified by [Not on sheet], Ruellia praetermissa Schweinf. ex Lindau [family ACANTHACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by [Not on sheet],
Related name
- Dipteracanthus sudanicus
- Ruellia praetermissa
Flora
Entry for Ruellia prostrata Poir. [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
Ruellia prostrata Poir. [family ACANTHACEAE], Encycl. Meth. 6: 349 (1804); T. Anderson in J.L.S. 7: 24 (1863); C.B. Clarke in F.T.A. 5: 46 (1899); E.P.A.: 939 (1964); Binns, Checklist Herb. Fl. Malawi: 15 (1968); U.K.W.F.: 589 (1974); Vollesen in Opera Bot. 59: 81 (1980); Blundell, Wild Fl. E. Afr.: 395 (1987); Iversen in Symb. Bot. Ups. 29(3): 162 (1991); U.K.W.F., ed. 2: 270 (1994); Lebrun & Stork, Enum. Pl. Afr. Trop. 4: 501 (1997); Friis & Vollesen in Biol. Skr. 51(2): 453 (2005); Ensermu in F.E.E. 5: 395 (2006); Hedrén in Fl. Somalia 3: 395 (2006). Type: India, Dupuis s.n. (P, holo.)
Ruellia nubica Delile [family ACANTHACEAE], Cent. Pl. Meroe: 74 (1826). Type: Sudan, Sennar, Meroe, Cailliaud s.n. (P, holo.)
Dipteracanthus prostratus (Poir.) Nees [family ACANTHACEAE], in Wall., Pl. As. Rar. 3: 81 (1832) & in DC., Prodr. 11: 124 (1847)
Dipteracanthus genduanus Schweinf. [family ACANTHACEAE], in Verh. Zool-Bot. Ges. Wien 18: 680 (1868). Type: Sudan, Gallabat, Gendua River, Schweinfurth 132 (BM!, P!, iso.)
Dipteracanthus sudanicus Schweinf. [family ACANTHACEAE], in Verh. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 18: 679 (1868) pro parte, quoad Schweinfurth 131
Ruellia genduana (Schweinf.) C.B.Clarke [family ACANTHACEAE], in F.T.A. 5: 47 (1899); F.P.S. 3: 187 (1956); Lebrun & Stork, Enum. Pl. Afr. Trop. 4: 501 (1997)
Ruellia patula (Poir.) Chiov. var. prostrata [family ACANTHACEAE], in Atti. Ist. Bot. Pavia, Ser. 4, 7: 146 (1936)
Ruellia sp. aff. prostrata [family ACANTHACEAE], sensu Vollesen in Opera Bot. 59: 81 (1980)
Information
Erect to decumbent perennial herb to 50 cm tall with several stems from woody rootstock or erect to scrambling subshrub to 1.5 m tall; young stems subglabrous to densely puberulous, pubescent or pilose with broad glossy straight or curly spreading or upwardly directed non-glandular hairs. Leaves with petiole (0–)3–20(–30) mm long; lamina lanceolate to broadly ovate or broadly elliptic, largest (3–)4–10(–14)≈(0.5–)1–6(–7) cm, apex acute to rounded, base attenuate to truncate, subglabrous to pubescent, densest along veins. Flowers solitary or in 2–3-flowered axillary cymes; pedicels 1–2.5 mm long, glabrous to puberulous; bracteoles (bracts in cymes) lanceolate to broadly ovate, 7–23≈2–16 mm. Calyx (6–)9–23(–27) mm long, divided to 1–3 mm from base, with filiform pubescent- to pilose-ciliate lobes with hairs to 2 mm long, otherwise glabrous to puberulous. Corolla falling early in the morning, white to mauve or purple; tube 14–28 mm long of which the basal cylindric part 4–10 mm and the throat 11–21 mm; lobes 6–16≈5–14 mm, elliptic or broadly so with entire to crenate-dentate edge. Stamens included in throat, didynamous, anthers not or slightly overlapping; filaments fused for 1–2 mm at base, free parts 2–4 and 5–8 mm long; anthers 1.5–3 mm long. Ovary densely puberulous; ventral stigma lobe 1–2≈± 0.5 mm. Capsule narrowly oblanceolate to clavate, puberulous to sericeous (very rarely glabrous), (13–)15–24 mm long, (6–)8–16-seeded. Seed ovoid to orbicular, grey to brown, 3–4≈3–4 mm. Fig. 31, 10–11, p. 206.
Range
DISTR. U 1–4; K 1–7; T 1–8 possibly introduced in SE Asia
Altitude range
near sea level to 1500 m
Distribution
KENYA Northern Frontier District Dandu, 2 May 1952, Gillett 13005!KENYA Baringo District Chebloch, Jan. 1962, Tweedie 2281!KENYA Tana River District Tana River National Primate Reserve, 22 March 1990, Luke et al. TPR775!TANZANIA Mbulu District Lake Manyara National Park, Msasa, 6 Dec. 1963, Greenway & Kirrika 11143!TANZANIA Dodoma District 75 km N of Dodoma, Chenene, 24 Jan. 1962, Polhill & Paulo 1254!TANZANIA Masasi District 8 km NE of Masasi, Mkwera Hill, 16 March 1991, Bidgood et al. 2026!UGANDA Acholi District Kitgum, Matidi, Apr. 1943, Purseglove 1507!UGANDA Karamoja District Mt Moroto, 10 Oct. 1952, Verdcourt 810!UGANDA Mbale District Sebei, Buligenyi, Muyembe, 19 May 1955, Norman 266!
Distribution (external)
Sudan
Ethiopia
Somalia
Angola
Zambia
Malawi
Mozambique
Zimbabwe
Botswana
Namibia
South Africa
Yemen
Oman
India
Sri Lanka
Christmas Island
New Guinea
New Caledonia
Vanuatu
Samoa
Notes
A many-formed species which may eventually prove to contain several infra-specific taxa, but extensive field studies will be needed to confirm this. All plants under this species are linked by the filiform calyx lobes and the hairy capsule. The leaves are generally larger and more acute than in R. patula. C.B.Clarke in F.T.A. expresses some doubt as to whether the type specimen of R. prostrata is distinct from R. patula. It is however apparent that the Indian material of R. prostrata generally has a shorter calyx than the East African material. But the shape of the calyx lobes and calyx indumentum is still distinct. Burtt1134, Tanzania, Kirangi, Mburi has a glabrous capsule but seems from other characters to beR. prostrata. For the moment it is best kept in this species.