Barleria aromatica Oberm.

Flora Zambesiaca Acanthaceae (part 2) by Iain Darbyshire, Kaj Vollesen and Ensermu Kelbessa

Morphology General Habit

Bushy perennial herb 60–90(150) cm tall, aromatic; stems with mixed short white spreading or retrorse hairs and long coarse pale-buff to golden-yellow hairs, appressed or ascending at first but spreading on older stems; uppermost internodes sometimes glandular-pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves often immature at flowering, elliptic, ovate or oblong, 1–4.2 × 0.5–2.2 cm, base obtuse or rounded, margin revolute when young, apex acute to rounded, apiculate, surfaces with buff to golden-yellow coarse appressed or ascending hairs, longest and most dense on veins beneath, often with finer and more spreading hairs between veins; lateral veins 3–4 pairs, prominent beneath; petiole 0–3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence axillary, 1(2)-flowered, on patent or spreading-ascending peduncles 13–42 mm long, hairs as on stems, short spreading glandular hairs usually present; bracteoles variously ovate or elliptic to linear, 2–6.5(10) × 1–2(5) mm, margin entire, apex often recurved, apiculate; pedicels 0–6 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx green or pinkish at first with darker reticulate venation, later turning scarious; outer lobes subequal, elliptic, oblong or lanceolate, 9.5–14.5(21) × 2.5–6.5 mm, margin entire, often involute, apex acute to attenuate, apiculate, anterior lobe sometimes notched, surfaces buff- to yellow-strigose, usually with scattered short spreading glandular hairs; lateral lobes lanceolate, 9–13.5(16) mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 31–48 mm long, mauve or rarely white to pale pink, sometimes with yellow throat, pubescent externally with mixed eglandular and glandular hairs; tube cylindrical, 17–28.5 mm long; limb in 2+3 arrangement; abaxial lobe 14–23 × 11–17(21) mm; lateral lobes 12–21 × 11–15(20) mm; adaxial lobes as laterals but 7–11(14) mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens attached 10–16 mm from base of corolla tube; filaments 20–29 mm long; anthers exserted, 3.5–5 mm long; lateral staminodes 4–8 mm long, sparsely hairy at base, apex clavate, antherodes undeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary with tuft of deflexed hairs at apex and extending onto style base, distal portion of style with minute spreading glandular hairs; stigma subcapitate or clavate, 0.4–0.8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 17–21 mm long, glabrous except apical tuft of hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (–immature) c.6 × 5 mm.

Distribution

Not known elsewhere.

Ecology

Open rocky hillslopes, often over serpentine deposits, but also recorded from granite outcrops; 1000–1600 m.

Conservation

Conservation notes: Endemic to Zimbabwe and known from at least 10 localities; mining is likely to have resulted in loss of some populations although mine-spoil may create favourable conditions; Near Threatened.