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DISSOTIS rotundifolia (Sm.) Triana [family MELASTOMATACEAE]

Date Updated: 19 August 2007

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, (1975) Author: G. E. WICKENS
Names
DISSOTIS rotundifolia (Sm.) Triana [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in Trans. Linn. Soc. 28: 58 (1872); Cogn. in A. & C. DC., Monogr. Phan. 7: 369 (1891); Gilg in E.M. 2: 15 (1898); V.E. 3 (2): 754 (1921); T.T.C.L.: 310 (1949); U.O.P.Z.: 234, fig. (1949); F.W.T.A., ed. 2, 1: 257, fig. 101 (1954); A. & R. Fernandes in Mem. Soc. Brot. 11: 23, 74 (1956) & in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 34: 184 (1960) & in C.F.A. 4: 143 (1970). Type: Sierra Leone, Afzelius (BM, holo.!) Osbeckia rotundifolia Sm. [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in Rees, Cycl. 25, Osbeckia (1822) Melastoma plumosa D. Don [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in Mem. Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc. 4: 291 (1823). Type: Sierra Leone, Afzelius (BM, holo. !) Melastoma prostrata Schumach. [family MELASTOMATACEAE], Beskr. Guin. Pl.: 220 (1827) & in Kongel. Dansk. Vid. Selsk. Nat. Math. Afh. 3: 240 (1828). Type: Ghana, Aquapim, Thonning (C, holo.) Heterotis plumosa (D. Don) Benth. [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in Hook., Niger Fl.: 348 (1849) Heterotis prostrata (Schumach.) Benth. [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in Hook., Niger Fl.: 349 (1849) Osbeckia zanzibariensis Naud. [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in Ann. Sci. Nat., sér. 3, 13: t. 7/5 (1850) & 14: 55 (1850). Type: Zanzibar, Bojer (P, holo., K, iso. !) Lepidanthemum triplinervum Klotzsch [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in Peters, Reise Mossamb., Bot. 1: 64 (1861). Typo: Mozambique, Boror, Apr. 1846, Peters (B, holo. †) Dissotis plumosa (D. Don) Hook. f. [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in F.T.A. 2: 452 (1871) Dissotis prostrata (Schumach.) Hook. f. [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in F.T.A. 2: 452 (1871); Triana in Trans. Linn. Soc. 28: 58 (1872) Dissotis rotundifolia (Schumach.) Jacques-Félix var. prostrata [family MELASTOMATACEAE], in Adansonia 11: 548 (1971)
Information
Decumbent herb, rooting at the nodes, with erect branches up to 16 cm. or more high; stem lightly to densely hirsute. Leaf-lamina ovate-suborbicular to oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–7 cm. long, 0.8–4 cm. wide, apex acute, base truncate to shortly attenuate, margin slightly crenulate-ciliate, lightly to densely pilose on both surfaces; midrib and 1(–2) pairs of basal longitudinal leaves lightly impressed above, subprominent beneath; petiole 0.5–2.5 cm. long. Inflorescence of a solitary flower or rarely 2–4-flowered cymes; flowers 5-merous. Calyx-tube (fig. 8/6, p. 28) cylindric-campanulate, 5–7 mm. long, 3–4 mm. in diameter, sparsely to densely pilose, the hairs intermixed with linear-subulate caducous appendages 1–2 mm. long and setose at the apex (variously branched hairs may be present along the length of the appendage); lobes subulate-lanceolate, 6 mm. long, margin ciliate, setose at the apex; intersepalar appendages ligulate, 2–2.5 mm. long, setose at the apex. Petals pink, obovate, 20 mm. long, 15 mm. wide. Stamens 10, unequal; large stamens with anthers 7 mm. long, connective produced 6 mm., bilobed appendage 1.5 mm. long, filament 6 mm. long; small stamens with anthers 5.5 mm. long, connective produced 1 mm., bilobed appendage 0.5 mm. long, filament 5 mm. long.
Range
DISTR. U2–4; K7; T1, 3, 4, 6–8; Z; P widespread in tropical Africa from Sierra Leone southwards to Angola and extending eastwards through Zaire and E. Africa to Rhodesia and Mozambique; introduced into Malesia and the West Indies
Altitude range
sea-level to 1900 m.
Distribution
KENYA Kwale District Majoreni, Nov. 1929, R. M. Graham in F.D. 2189 ! & W. of Ramisi, 9 May 1953, Bally 8898 ! & Shimba Hills, Lango ya Mwagandi [Longom-wagandi] Forest, 14 Nov. 1968, Magogo & Estes 1227 !TANZANIA Tanga District Magunga Estate, 14 Oct. 1952, Faulkner 1055 !TANZANIA Mpanda District Kungwe Mt., Kasoje, 17 July 1959, Newbould & Harley 4431 !TANZANIA Uzaramo District Vikindu Forest Reserve, Feb. 1952, Procter 33 !TANZANIA Zanzibar I., Mkokotoni, 17 Sept. 1960, Faulkner 2712 !TANZANIA Pemba I., Chake Chake, 26 July 1929, Vaughan 405 !UGANDA Bunyoro District Hoima, Feb. 1943, Purseglove 1242 !UGANDA Busoga District Kibibi, 6 Feb. 1953, G. H. Wood 636 !UGANDA Masaka District Bugala I., July 1945, Purseglove 1727 !
Notes
The wide range of variation found in the species is believed to be due to habitat conditions and the differences consequently do not warrant taxonomic recognition.
DISSOTIS rotundifolia (Sm.) Triana [family MELASTOMATACEAE]
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