Family:
Lamiaceae Martinov

Fuerstia T.C.E.Fr.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Tropical Africa.

[LKGF]

Harley, R.M. et al. (2004). Labiatae, in The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants (K. Kubitzki, ed. in chief) VI: 167-275. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.

Morphology General Habit
Subshrubs or herbs, often geoxylic, not aromatic
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple, opposite, ternate or quadrate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence thyrsoid with cymes sessile, 1-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts persistent, not coloured, often inconspicuous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx shortly tubular, straight or curving upwards, strongly 2-lipped, 5-lobed (1/4), lobes unequal, posterior rounded, decurrent, curving upwards, lateral lobes deltoid, usually with a prominent shoulder, anterior lobes subulate; throat open, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla strongly two-lipped, 5-lobed (4/1), white or pink, posterior lip ascending, 4-lobed with median lobes exceeding lateral lobes, anterior lip horizontal, concave, corolla-tube straight or slightly curved, parallel-sided, dilating towards throat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, posterior pair sterile, held within tube, attached above midpoint of corolla-tube, pubescent, inappendiculate, anterior pair held over anterior lip, attached at corolla throat, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style capitate-clavate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma lobes equal, rounded, connivent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disc 4-lobed with anterior lobe larger
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets ± ovoid, glabrous, mucilaginous.
Distribution
Eight species in tropical Africa
Ecology
In grassland or woodland.

[FTEA]

Lamiaceae (Labiatae), A.J. Paton, G. Bramley, O. Ryding, R.M. Polhill, Y.B. Harvey, M. Iwarsson, F. Willis, P.B. Phillipson, K. Balkwill, C.W. Lukhoba, D.F. Otieno, & R.M. Harley. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Morphology General Habit
Perennial woody herbs, subshrubs or suffrutices with annual stems arising from a woody rootstock, aromatic or not
Morphology Stem
Stems erect, woody at base
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3 or 4, petiolate or sessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite, arranged in 2–4flowered verticils, each flower being subtended by an inconspicuous bract
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx persistent, bilabiate, shortly tubular; posterior lip large, ovate, entire, shortly decurrent on tube; anterior lip 4-lobed, lateral lobes deltate, cuspidate, median lobes lanceolate, long-acuminate; fruiting calyx with throat open, glabrous; posterior lip accrescent, lateral lobes of anterior lip often with posterior margin extended towards the posterior lip and with a small lanceolate or subulate tooth, median lobes acicular or subulate, curving upwards, usually longer than the lateral lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla bilabiate; tube parallel-sided exserted from the calyx, straight; posterior lip 4-lobed, median lobes narrower than and exceeding the lateral, anterior lip entire, cucullate, enclosing stamens or slightly deflexed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, declinate, inappendiculate, posterior pair sterile and enclosed within tube, joined to the corolla at the midpoint of the tube, anterior joining nearer the corolla throat; anthers dorsifixed, synthecous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk 4-lobed with the anterior lobe larger
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary glabrous, deeply 4lobed; style gynobasic, capitate, lobes rounded, adpressed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets ovoid, with a small basal scar, producing mucilage when wet.
Note
Closely related to Orthosiphon, but differing in having only 2 fertile stamens (see Fig. 28: 3 & 4, p. 188) and in having the flowers single in the axils of small bracts rather than each bract subtending a cyme of 3 flowers.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Subshrubs or herbs, with branched (in the Somali species) or usually simple hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences raceme-like, lax, with often recurved flowers; bracts distinctly smaller than the leaves; bracteoles absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-lobed; upper lobe large, concave, decurrent along the distal third of the tube; lateral lobes broad at the base, subulate at the apex; lower lobes subulate and longer than the lateral lobes (in Somali species)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla strongly 2-lipped; tube straight, narrowly to broadly cylindrical; upper lip 3–4-lobed, almost flat; lower lip shallowly boat-shaped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens inserted in the distal part of the corolla-tube, not protruding beyond the mouth of the tube; posterior pair sterile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style not protruding beyond the mouth of the corolla-tube; branches minute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets ovoid, minutely bullate, glabrous.
Distribution
Genus with eight species in tropical Africa.

Native to:

Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia

Fuerstia T.C.E.Fr. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Acta Univ. Lund., 2, 25(17): 3 (1929)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Literature

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, (2000) Author: by O. Ryding [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
  • Paton in Kew Bull. 48: 129–137 (1993).
  • Taylor in J. Bot. 70: 269–274 (1932)

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Acta Univ. Lund Nova Ser., Avd. 2, 25, 17: 3 (1929)
  • J.B. 70: 269–274 (1932)
  • K.B. 48: 129–137 (1994)
  • Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 7: 261 (2004)

Lamiaceae Key Genus Fact Sheets

  • Fuerstia T.C.E. Fries, Acta Univ. Lund Nova Ser. Avd. 2, 25, 17: 3 (1929)
  • Harley RM, Atkins S, Budantsev AL, Cantino PD, Conn BJ, Grayer R, Harley MM, de Kok RPJ, Krestovskaja T, Morales R, Paton AJ, Ryding O, and Upson T. 2004. Labiatae, in The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants (K. Kubitzki, ed. in chief) VI: 167-275. Sp
  • Paton, Kew Bull. 48: 129-137 (1993), rev.
  • Taylor, J. Bot. 70: 269-274 (1932), rev.

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Lamiaceae Key Genus Fact Sheets

    Nina Davies, Gemma Bramley and Don Kirkup, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0