Priva Adans.

First published in Fam. Pl. 2: 505 (1763)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical & S. Africa to Myanmar, Tropical & Subtropical America.

Descriptions

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, often with rough pubescence; leaves opposite, thin, the margins serrate or toothed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, in terminal racemes, the stems often branching dichasially below the inflorescence so that the latter appears to arise from a fork
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular at anthesis, 5-ribbed, the ribs ending in small teeth, persistent and enlarging to enclose the fruit completely except for a minute orifice
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla obliquely 5-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, included, inserted in 2 pairs at different levels; anther-cells parallel or slightly divergent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-celled; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit dry and surrounded by the enlarged, bladdery calyx, consisting at maturity of 2 nutlets, these usually variously spined, ridged or roughened on the dorsal surface.
Distribution
A pantropical genus of about 20 species.
[Cayman]

Verbenaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1992

Morphology General Habit
Erect or ascending mostly almost subscabrid pubescent perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or subopposite, simple, mostly ± toothed, sessile or petiolate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences raceme-like or subspicate, terminal or axillary; bracts small; flowers ± small, arranged in a spirally alternate or pseudo-secund manner on the mostly elongate rhachis
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular, 5-ribbed, with 4–5 mostly short equal or subequal teeth, persistent, enlarging and covering the fruit, usually contracted and ± beaked at the mouth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white or coloured, ± irregular, funnel-shaped or hypocrateriform; tube cylindric, straight or slightly curved, widened at the throat; limb ± 2-lipped, with 5 unequal lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted near the middle of the tube, included; a minute staminode is sometimes present also
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2(–4)-locular, with each locule 1–2-ovuled; style terminal, filiform, 2-lobed at apex with a longer curved or erect stigmatiferous lobe and a very minute tooth-like lobe; ovules basal, erect, anatropous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit eventually splitting into 2 1–2-locular subglobose cocci; pericarp hard, the dorsal surface echinate, scrobiculate or ridged, the inner excavated, flat or concave
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds without endosperm.
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves mostly toothed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in terminal or axillary racemes or spikes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular, 5-ribbed, 4–5-toothed, persistent and covering the fruit, usually contracted and ± beaked above
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla-tube cylindric, widened at the throat; limb ± 2-lipped with 5 unequal lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, inserted near the middle of the tube, included
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2(–4)-celled, each cell with 1 or 2 basal ovules; style filiform; stigma unequally 2-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit finally splitting into 2 normally 2-celled and 2-seeded nutlets; fruit-wall hard, spiny, tuberculate or ridged on the back.
Distribution
Some 20 species in tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa and America.
[FSOM]

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol 8, Pt 7. Avicenniaceae, R. Fernandes. Nesogenaceae, M.A. Diniz. Verbenaceae, R. Fernandes. Lamiaceae, R. Fernandes. 2005.

Morphology General
Perennial herbs with woody rootstocks, rarely with tuberous roots
Morphology Stem
Stem and branches 4-angled Stem and branches 4-angled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-carpellate, each carpel 2-locular, each locule 1-ovulate; ovules anatropous, erect, attached laterally at or near the base; style terminal, filiform, subequalling the lower stamens, 2-lobed at the apex with a short, stigmatic anterior lobe and an acute horny sterile posterior tooth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a schizocarp included within a persistent inflated calyx, separating at maturity into 2 bilocular mericarps (or mericarps 1-locular by abortion); mericarps with a dry and hard pericarp, linear or oblong, flat concave or deeply excavate on the commissural face, raised-reticulate or ribbed on the lateral faces, echinate or ridged on the dorsal face rarely smooth, glabrous, puberulous or shortly pubescent Fruit a schizocarp included within a persistent inflated calyx, separating at maturity into 2 bilocular mericarps (or mericarps 1-locular by abortion); mericarps with a dry and hard pericarp, linear or oblong, flat concave or deeply excavate on the commissural face, raised-reticulate or ribbed on the lateral faces, echinate or ridged on the dorsal face rarely smooth, glabrous, puberulous or shortly pubescent.
Distribution
A genus of about 20 species in tropical and subtropical America (Florida and Texas to Paraguay and West Indies), Asia (Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, etc.) and Africa.   The c. 10 species occurring in Africa all belong to sect. Priva .
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs with woody rootstocks, rarely with tuberous roots.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or subopposite, usually decussate, simple, petiolate or sessile, crenate-serrate or serrate, sometimes laciniate or lobed at the base. Leaves opposite or subopposite, usually decussate, simple, petiolate or sessile, crenate-serrate or serrate, sometimes laciniate or lobed at the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences usually of terminal or axillary spike-like racemes; bracts small. Inflorescences usually of terminal or axillary spike-like racemes; bracts small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, shortly pedicellate, spirally alternate or pseudo-secund on the mostly elongate rhachis, each solitary in the axil of a narrow bract. Flowers small, shortly pedicellate, spirally alternate or pseudo-secund on the mostly elongate rhachis, each solitary in the axil of a narrow bract
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular, 5-ribbed and slightly 5-plicate at anthesis, shortly and subequally 5-dentate or subtruncate and 5-denticulate at the apex, membranous, usually covered with hooked hairs intermixed with setae, becoming inflated about the fruit and ± narrowed and beaked at the mouth. Calyx tubular, 5-ribbed and slightly 5-plicate at anthesis, shortly and subequally 5-dentate or subtruncate and 5-denticulate at the apex, membranous, usually covered with hooked hairs intermixed with setae, becoming inflated about the fruit and ± narrowed and beaked at the mouth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla hypocrateriform or funnel-shaped, usually white or sometimes blue, rose, red or purple; tube longer than the calyx, cylindric, straight or slightly curved, widened at the throat; limb oblique, c. 2-lipped, with the abaxial lip 3-lobed and the adaxial lip 2-lobed. Corolla hypocrateriform or funnel-shaped, usually white or sometimes blue, rose, red or purple; tube longer than the calyx, cylindric, straight or slightly curved, widened at the throat; limb oblique, c. 2-lipped, with the abaxial lip 3-lobed and the adaxial lip 2-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, included; filaments inserted about or above the middle of the corolla tube; anthers ovate or oblong, dorsifixed. Stamens 4, included; filaments inserted about or above the middle of the corolla tube; anthers ovate or oblong, dorsifixed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2-carpellate, each carpel 2-locular, each locule 1-ovulate; ovules anatropous, erect, attached laterally at or near the base; style terminal, filiform, subequalling the lower stamens, 2-lobed at the apex with a short, stigmatic anterior lobe and an acute horny sterile posterior tooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds without endosperm; cotyledons oblong, somewhat thick. Seeds without endosperm; cotyledons oblong, somewhat thick.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • 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
  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • 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.
  • 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