Hydrocotyle verticillata Thunb. [family UMBELLIFERAE]

Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Zambesiaca
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
FZ, Vol 4, Part 0, page 553, (1978) Author: M. L. Gonçalves
Names
Hydrocotyle interrupta Elliott [family UMBELLIFERAE], Sketch of the Bot. of S. Carol. & Georgia 1: 345 (1817).—DC., Prodr. 4: 59 (1830). Type from the U.S.A.
Hydrocotyle vulgaris [family UMBELLIFERAE], sensu Thunb., Fl. Cap. 2: 192 (1820); op. cit. ed. 2: 252 (1823) non L. (1753).
Hydrocotyle vulgaris var. verticillata Thunb. A. Rich [family UMBELLIFERAE], ,Mon. Hydrocot.: 27 (1820). Type as for Hydrocotyle verticillata.
Hydrocotyle vulgaris var. communis Cham. & Schlecht. [family UMBELLIFERAE], in Linnaea 1: 356 (1826). Type as for Hydrocotyle verticillata.
Hydrocotyle verticillata Thunb. [family UMBELLIFERAE], Dissert. Hydrocot.: 5 (1798).—Sond. in Harv. & Sond., F.C. 2: 527 (1862).—Eyles in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 5: 433 (1916).—Burtt Davy, F.P.F.T. 1: 517 (1926).—R. E. Fr., Wiss. Ergebn. Schwed. Rhod.-Kongo-Exped.: 183 (1914).—Cannon in C.F.A. 4: 336 (1970). Type from S. Africa.
Information
Glabrous creeping herb, rooting freely at the nodes; stems delicate, terete, brownish-white. Leaves peltate, on long petioles up to 15 cm. Lamina up to 45 (60) mm. in diameter, circular to broadly elliptic, with 8–13 main veins radiating from the petiole; margin shallowly crenately lobed. Inflorescence an interrupted verticillate spike, approximately equal in length to the subtending leaf (axis occasionally branched to produce 2 or more parallel spikes). Flowers small, inconspicuous, 2–7 in each verticil, initially closely packed together, the axis only expanding to separate the verticils as the fruit begins to mature. Fruit 2 × 4 mm., reddish-brown, laterally flattened, broadly ellipsoid, base cuneate, pedicel 1 mm. to obsolete; apex broadly and shallowly emarginate, stylopodium depressed to almost obsolete, styles short and spreading. Fruit ribs well developed, commissure scarcely depressed.
Habitat
In damp places by rivers and in marshes and ditches.
Range
Widespread throughout much of the tropics and subtropics: Australia, New Guinea, S. Africa, Angola, Uganda, U.S.A., Central and S. America
Distribution
Zimbabwe E UmtaliDistr.,Golf Course, fl.& fr.8.ix.1960, Chase 7375 (K; SRGH).Zimbabwe C Salisbury, Highlands, 24.ix.1946, Wild 1258 (BM; SRGH).Zimbabwe W Victoria Falls, fl. ix.1909, Rogers 5324 (K; SRGH).Zambia S Mapanza, fl. & fr. 12.v.1954, Robinson 749 (K; SRGH).Zambia E Msoro, 80 km. W. of Fort Jameson, Luangwa Valley, fl. & fr. 9.vi.1954, Robinson 850 (K; SRGH).Zambia C 9·7 km. SE. of Lusaka, fl. & fr. 25.xi.1957, King 390 (K).Zambia W L. Ishibu, Ndola, fl. & fr. 18.x.1953, Fanshawe 433 (K).Mozambique GI Panda, Inhambane Distr., Domo, Inhassoro Valley, fl. & fr. 27.x.1935, Lea 120 (SRGH).Zimbabwe N DarwinDistr., Upper Nyatandi R., fr. 27.i.1960, Phipps 2450 (BM; K; LMA; SRGH).Zambia B Kalabo, near resthouse, fl. & fr. 13.xi.1959, Drummond & Cookson 6402 (K; SRGH).Botswana N Ngamiland, Thamalakane R., fr. 13.iii.1961, Richards 14695 (K).Caprivi Strip Lizauli, Mashi R., fl. & fr., Killick & Leistner 3254 (K; SRGH).
Notes
Very closely related to the European H. vulgaris and later work may well show them to be more properly regarded as subspecies. It can be distinguished from H. vulgaris by the following characters:It appears that H. vulgaris may be a temperate European derivative of the probably much older tropical H. verticillata. Critical experimental work is needed to decide the matter.
Hydrocotyle verticillata Thunb. [family UMBELLIFERAE]
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