Boraginaceae
Echiochilon

Echiochilon lithospermoides (S.Moore) I.M.Johnst.

First published in Contr. Gray Herb. 73: 50 (1924)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Ethiopia to Kenya. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Boraginaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit
Shrublet, quite woody at the base, forming patches 10–60(–100) cm. long and wide, the stems much branched, spiky and tufted, the plant reaching a height of 10–40 cm., ± glaucous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves lanceolate, 1–3 cm. long, 2–5 mm. wide, gradually narrowed to acute or acuminate apex, ± narrowed at base, usually glabrous above, pustulate on lower surface or with short spreading bulbous-based hairs, ± costate, margin usually coarsely hispid-ciliate, almost appearing toothed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence an erect unilateral cyme, elongating with age, 10–30 cm. long, 10–50-flowered, with numerous bracts the lowest resembling the leaves, very gradually reduced upwards; pedicels 1–2 mm. long or obsolete.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-lobes unequal, lanceolate, 4–8 mm. long, 0.4–1.3 mm. wide, ± twice as large at maturity, hispid-ciliate, inner surface glabrous, outer pustulate or with bulbous-based hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla rose, blue turning pink or purple with red spots, strongly zygomorphic, 1.2–1.5 cm. long, tubular in lower half, expanding above into an extremely oblique funnel-like throat and limb 7–9 mm. wide, glabrous outside, with a zone of hairs inside 4–6.5 mm. above base; lobes rounded, unequal, up to 2.5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens borne at unequal heights; filaments 0.2–0.4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 3–4 mm. long; stigmas oblique, surmounted by 2 laterally compressed sterile style-tips.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets reddish, 2–2.4 mm. long and wide, dorsally tuberculate, ventrally angular with triangular areole ± 1 mm. wide contracted into an upwardly directed sulcus.
Figures
Fig. 25.
Habitat
Sparse Acacia woodland and bushland, grassland with or without scattered trees, also recorded from temporarily flooded mud flats, both on red and black soils; 850–1850 m.
Distribution
K1 K3 K6
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0