Campanulaceae
Campanula

Campanula keniensis Thulin

First published in Bot. Not. 128: 350 (1975 publ. 1976)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya (Masai). It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Campanulaceae, Mats Thulin (University of Uppsala). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit
Annual ± stiffly erect herb, up to 35 cm. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stem branched mainly in the upper part, strongly ribbed, hirsute with mixed hairs of very variable lengths.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sessile, narrowly ovate to ovate above, elliptic to oblanceolate or narrowly ovate towards the base, up to 10–25 mm. long, 5–10 mm. wide, acute or subacute, with truncate or at least in upper leaves, cordate base, hirsute; margin ± undulate-crenate; midvein and lateral veins prominent beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence lax, leafy, with marked overtopping of the terminal flower giving a dichotomous appearance; pedicels short, elongating up to 10 mm. in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
Hypanthium broadly obconical, with 5 distinct nerves and up to 5 additional ± weak nerves in between them, shortly and densely pubescent but with long hairs on the nerves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-lobes narrowly triangular, 4–8 mm. long, acute, with long hairs at margins and on midvein outside, otherwise shortly and densely pubescent on both sides; calyx-appendages ovate, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, reflexed, ± obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla blue or mauve with whitish base, cylindrical, 6–8 mm. long, with erect apiculate lobes 1–1.6 mm. long; midveins of petals distinct with ± long hairs, corolla otherwise densely puberulous outside, glabrous inside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens with ovate shortly ciliate filament-bases; anthers 1.3–2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 3-locular; style much shorter than the corolla-tube, 3-lobed, hairy at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3-locular, dehiscing by basal valves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, elliptic-oblong in outline, compressed, ± 0.6 mm. long, almost smooth, yellowish brown.
Habitat
Upland grassland; 2150–2430 m.
Distribution
K6 not known elsewhere
[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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[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 2025. 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 2025. 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