Acanthaceae
Acanthopale

Acanthopale pubescens (Lindau) C.B.Clarke

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 5: 64 (1899)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to S. Tropical Africa. It is a shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Acanthaceae (part 2), Kaj Vollesen. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type
Type: Congo-Kinshasa, N of Lake Kivu, Mt Ninagongo, von Götzen 58 (B†, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Shrubby herb or soft-wooded shrub to 2.5(–3) m tall, sometimes with stilt-roots; young stems quadrangular and longitudinally furrowed, subglabrous to densely sericeous with closely appressed often (if sparse) almost invisible hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves with petiole (1–)2–6.5 cm long on larger leaves with sparse to dense long spreading hairs on edges; lamina ovate to elliptic, largest 8–24 × 3.5–9.5 cm, apex acuminate to cuspidate, base attenuate, beneath subglabrous to pubescent with broad glossy hairs along midrib and veins, sparser (rarely dense) on lamina, above with sparse to dense long broad appressed hairs all over, denser on midrib (rarely glabrous)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in dense capitate racemoid heads or elongated racemes to 3 cm long; peduncle 0.5–23 mm long, winged, glabrous to sericeous; bracts often purplish; pedicels to 1 mm long; bracteoles linear to spathulate, 5–14(–18) mm long, sometimes with apical part recurved, conspicuously whitish sericeous-pubescent (more rarely sparsely purplishsericeous-pubescent on midrib and margins) on edges (rarely also with stalked capitate glands)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5–10 mm long, usually conspicuously whitish sericeouspubescent or densely so apically, more rarely sparsely sericeous in apical half with purple appressed hairs, glabrous towards base (rarely also with stalked capitate glands), lobes linear-lanceolate or slightly spathulate, acute to obtuse
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla pure white (rarely) or white with pink to purple lines in throat, pubescent with broad glossy hairs, densest dorsally and sometimes only in a dorsal band; tube below attachment of stamens 8–15 mm long, throat 10–25 mm long and 8–20 mm in diameter apically, lobes 4–8 mm long, acute or bifid at apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Free part of filaments 4–8 and 6–12 mm long, densely hairy in lower half; anthers 2–3 mm long; ventral stigma lobe 2–3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 11–14 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed ellipsoid to circular, 4–5 × 3–4 mm
Figures
Fig 33, p216
Ecology
Medium altitude and montane wet evergreen forest, swamp forest; 1150–2750 m
Note
The anthers of the shorter pair of stamens are occasionally sterile.
Distribution
Range: Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe Flora districts: T2 T3 T4 K1 K3 K4 K 5 T1 T4 T5 T6 T7
[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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

J. R. Timberlake, E. S. Martins (2013). Flora Zambesiaca, Vol 8 (5) Acanthaceae Part 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Type
Congo, N of Lake Kivu, Mt Ninagongo, von Götzen 58 (B† holotype). Neotype: Congo, Mt Adjo, 2.x.1957, Bamps 10 (BR neotype, K), selected here.
Morphology General Habit
Shrubby herb or soft-wooded shrub to 2(5) m tall, sometimes with stilt-roots; young stems subglabrous to densely sericeous, sometimes with some spreading hairs, glabrescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves beneath subglabrous to pubescent along midrib and veins, sparser on lamina, above with sparse long broad appressed hairs all over, denser on midrib; petiole 2.5–8 cm long on larger leaves, with sparse to dense long spreading hairs on edges; lamina ovate to elliptic, largest 10–20 × 4.5– 9.5 cm; apex cuspidate; base attenuate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in condensed or elongated racemes, sometimes also with extra solitary flowers; peduncle 5–15 mm long, winged, subglabrous to sericeous; bracts sometimes purplish; pedicels to 1 mm long; bracteoles 7–9 mm long, linear to spathulate, sometimes with apical part recurved, conspicuously whitish sericeous-pubescent on edges
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 6–10 mm long, conspicuously whitish sericeous-pubescent or densely so apically, glabrous towards base, lobes linear to oblanceolate, subacute to obtuse
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white with purple lines in throat, pubescent with broad glossy hairs, densest dorsally, sometimes only in a dorsal band; tube below attachment of stamens 5–14 mm long, throat 10–20 mm long, 12–19 mm wide apically, lobes 5–10 mm long, bifid at apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Free part of filaments 4–6 and 6–11 mm long, densely hairy in lower half; anthers 2.5–4 mm long; ventral stigma lobe 2–3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 12–14 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ellipsoid to circular, 4–5 × 3–4 mm.
Distribution
Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Also in Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi.
Ecology
Medium altitude and montane evergreen forest; 1000–1900 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
[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 2026. 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 2026. 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