Forsskaolea L.

First published in Opobalsamum: 17 (1764)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is S. Spain, Cape Verde to India and Kenya, Angola to Cape Prov.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Monoecious annual or perennial herbs, sometimes woody at the base, often covered with hispid hairs; cystoliths dot-like
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, petiolate, variously serrate; blade often white tomentose beneath and ± scabrous above; stipules lateral, free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences bisexual, sessile in the leaf axils, enclosed in a campanulate involucre of bracts and almost covered by a dense, long, woolly indumentum; bracts spathulate, lanceolate, ovate or obovate, free or fused at the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers pedicellate, mostly near edge of campanulate inflorescence; perianth irregularly 3-lobed; stamen 1, inflexed; rudimentary ovary absent Female flowers few at centre of inflorescence; perianth and staminodes absent; ovary erect; stigma sessile, filiform; staminodes absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achene ovate, ± compressed, completely covered by woolly indumentum.
Distribution
Around six to seven species, occurring in the drier parts of Africa, on the Macaronesian Islands, in Spain and extending to Pakistan and north-western India.
[FSOM]

Urticaceae, I. Friis University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs or shrublets, monoecious, often covered with hispid hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, petiolate, variously serrate; cystoliths dot-like, prominent; stipules lateral, free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences bisexual, rarely unisexual (♀), sessile in leaf-axils, enclosed in a campanulate involucre of bracts; bracts almost completely covered by long dense woolly indumentum (but hairs at base of bracts long and stiff), lanceolate, ovate or obovate, free or fused at base Male flowers pedicellate, mostly near edge of inflorescence; perianth irregularly 3-lobed; stamen 1, inflexed, later reflexing; rudimentary ovary absent Female flowers few at centre of inflorescence, without perianth; ovary erect; stigma sessile and filiform
sex Male
Male flowers pedicellate, mostly near edge of inflorescence; perianth irregularly 3-lobed; stamen 1, inflexed, later reflexing; rudimentary ovary absent
sex Female
Female flowers few at centre of inflorescence, without perianth; ovary erect; stigma sessile and filiform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achene ovate, covered by woolly indumentum.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • 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
  • 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