Lithospermum afromontanum Weim.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial often straggling subshrubby herb 0.3–1.5 m. tall; stems branched above, strigose or hairy.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves elliptic to lanceolate, 3–5.5(–7.5) cm. long, 0.5–1.2(–2.2) cm. wide, acute at the apex, narrowed to the base, discolorous, covered on both faces with hairs slightly dilated at the base, those on the upper surface often with a ring of cystolith cells; lower leaves ± sessile, the upper shortly petiolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes attaining 30 cm., many-flowered, lax; bracts subsessile, 0.5–3 cm. long, 2–9 mm. wide, ± opposed; pedicels 2–3 mm. long, accrescent to 5–9 mm. in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx divided to the base into often unequal lobes 3–5 mm. long, 0.6 mm. wide, accrescent in fruit and attaining 6–8 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white to yellow; tube 4.5–7 mm. long, pubescent outside and with papillate swellings obstructing the throat; limb 5–8 mm. wide, the lobes ± rounded, 2.2–4 mm. long and wide, ± narrowed to the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 0.7 mm. diameter, glabrous; style 3–4(–6) mm. long with 2 minute terminal stigmas; an annular nectary inserted at the base of the tube and forming a 10-lobed swelling or with 10 completely separate lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Nutlets 4 or only 1 by reduction, white, ovoid, 2.8–4 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, smooth and shining, often with some pale brown areas when dry.

Figures

Fig. 20.

Habitat

Montane grassland, clearings in bamboo, bushland and shrub, Erica and Lycopodium associations, Juniper forest; (1560–)1800–3950 m.

Distribution

K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 T2 T3 T4 T7 U1 U2 U3

Boraginaceae, E. S. Martins (Trichodesma by R. K. Brummit). Flora Zambesiaca 7:4. 1990

Morphology General Habit

Erect or straggling perennial herb or undershrub 0.5–1.8 m. high, much-branched above.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sessile or subsessile, 35–70(95) x 5–20(27) mm., elliptic to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, with ± appressed bulbous-based short hairs surrounded by cystoliths above, hairy below, discolorous, acute at apex, cuneate to obtuse at base, margins slightly revolute, with 1–3 nerves on each side of the midrib.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes up to 22(30) cm. long at maturity, simple or 2-, rarely 3–4-branched, lax; bracts subsessile, similar the leaves but usually smaller.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers usually extra-axillary, pedicelled, heterostylous; pedicels 2–3 mm. long, up to 8 mm. long on the fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2.5–5.0 mm. long, up to 10 mm. long on the fruit, bristly hairy outside, strigose inside; lobes linear to lanceolate, acute, subequal or unequal.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla infundibuliform, appressed hairy outside, yellowish; tube 4.5–7.0 mm. long, glabrous or glandular hairy inside; glandular invaginations in the throat ± trapeziform; nectaries at the base of the tube 10, free or ± united; corolla lobes 1.5–3.5 x 1.5–3.5 mm., circular to oblong, rounded at apex, papillose inside, margin more or less undulate, spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens inserted above the middle of the corolla tube, often near the throat; anthers 1.0–1.5 mm. long, oblong, rounded at the ends, sometimes apiculate; filaments 0.5–0.8 mm. long, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary c. 0.6 mm. wide, glabrous; style 1.2–1.6 mm. long in short-styled flowers, c. 3 mm. long in medium-styled ones and c. 7 mm. long in the long-styled ones; stigmas 2, terminal or subterminal.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit often with 1 nutlet, less often with 2 or 3; nutlets c. 3.5 x 2.5 mm., ovoid, rounded dorsally and obtusely keeled ventrally.