Gentianaceae
Faroa

Faroa salutaris Welw.

First published in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 27: 46 (1869)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: confident
[AERP]

Gentianaceae, Sileshi Nemomissa. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb 3–16 cm high.
Morphology Stem
Stem usually many-branched from the base, rarely simple.
Morphology Leaves
Rosette leaves ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 11–45 mm long, 4–15 mm wide, obtuse, margin minutely revolute, midrib prominent beneath. Cauline leaves lanceolate to oblong-obovate, 6–12 mm long, 2–5 mm wide, obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences in axillary and terminal fascicles, umbel-like, sometimes head-like; pedicels 5–9 mm long; bracts subtending inflorescence oblong to linear-oblong, 5–15 mm long, 0.3–2.5 mm wide, obtuse, not inflated.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers numerous, mauve to whitish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube cylindrical to funnel-shaped, 0.7–1.4 mm long; lobes ovate to lanceolate, 1–2.1 mm long, 0.8–0.9 mm wide, subacute, apically thickened, 1-nerved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla tube 2.3–3 mm long; lobes elliptic-lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm long, 0.8–1 mm wide, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments 2.2–3.4 mm long, filiform; anthers ellipsoid, 0.3–0.6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary obovoid, 1–1.5 mm long, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter; style 2.5–4 mm long, filiform; stigma minute, subcapitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule obovoid, ± 1.7 mm long, 1 mm diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ellipsoid, ± 0.3 mm in diameter, surface pitted.
Habitat
Moist sites in grassland within the woodland area; 450–900 m
Distribution
T4 T7 T8
[FTEA]

Gentianaceae, J. Paiva and I. Nogueira. Flora Zambesiaca 7:4. 1990

Morphology General Habit
Perennial erect herb, 5–15 cm. tall, with many basal stems arising from a rootstock, rarely solitary.
Morphology Stem
Stem simple or branched from the base, 4-ridged.
Morphology Leaves
Rosette leaves sometimes present at the rime of anthesis, 15–90 x 3–10 mm., from ovate or oblong-ovate to oblong lanceolate or linear; stem leaves in 3–4 pairs, 4–15 x 1.5–3 mm., lanceolate to oblong-obovate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence dense axillary and terminal clusters, simple or umbelliform, sometimes the terminal one head-like.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers blue, mauve to whitish; pedicels 0.3–0.7 mm. long, filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube 1–1.25 mm. long, campanulate; lobes 1.5–2(3) x 0.7–0.9 mm., ovate to ovate-lanceolate, subacute or obtuse at the base, carinate at the apex, 1-nerved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla tube 1.5–2.5 mm. long, cylindric; lobes 1.8–2 x 0.6–0.8 mm., elliptic-lanceolate, attenuate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments 2–3 mm. long, filiform; anthers 0.6–0.8 mm. long, ellipsoid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 1.8–2 x 0.7–0.9 mm., cylindric-obovoid; style 3–6 mm. long, filiform; stigma subcapitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 1.8–2.1 x 0.9–1 mm., obovoid-cylindric.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds c. 0.3 mm. in diam., subglobose, minutely scrobiculate.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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

  • 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