Barleria lancifolia T.Anderson

Flora Zambesiaca Acanthaceae (part 2) by Iain Darbyshire, Kaj Vollesen and Ensermu Kelbessa

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb or subshrub 30–70 cm tall, woody at base; lower stems densely and minutely white-velutinous, uppermost internodes with ± numerous spreading glandular hairs, sparsely to densely puberulent, sometimes with scattered appressed-strigulose hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves lanceolate, narrowly ovate-elliptic or ovate, 2.8–10.5 × 1–3 cm, base attenuate or cuneate, apex acute or rarely obtuse, apiculate, surfaces soon glabrescent except for margin and midrib beneath sparsely strigulose; lateral veins 4–5 pairs; petiole to 15 mm. Leaf buds densely white-strigulose and/or white-velutinous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence axillary in upper portion of branches, 1–3-flowered; peduncle 0–8(25) mm long; bracts foliaceous, often much-reduced at upper nodes where typically linear or oblanceolate, 11–20 × 2–5 mm, often with scattered glandular hairs; bracteoles linear, oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 6–20.5 × 0.5–3.5 mm, spreading glandular-pubescent, veins strigulose; pedicels 0–4.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx somewhat accrescent; outer lobes equal, elliptic to ovate, 7–15.5 × 4.5–9.5 mm in flower, 12.5–20 × 9.5–13.5 mm in fruit, base rounded to acute, apex rounded to subattenuate, that of anterior lobe often minutely notched, external surface ± densely spreading glandular-pubescent, main veins also strigulose, internal surface puberulous, venation palmate or subparallel, prominent; lateral lobes lanceolate, 5–9.5 mm long in flower, 9–13 mm in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 26.5–41.5 mm long, blue, mauve or lilac with paler tube, whole flower sometimes whitish at anthesis, lateral lobes eglandular- and glandular-pubescent externally, elsewhere glabrous; tube funnel-shaped or narrowly so, 13–18.5 mm long, basal 3.5–7.5 mm being 3.5–4.5 mm wide, rapidly to gradually widening to 5.5–10 mm at throat; limb in 4+1 arrangement; abaxial lobe 12–18.5 × 7.5–15 mm, offset by 3.5–7 mm; lateral lobes 10–16 × 7.5–14 mm; adaxial lobes as laterals but 6–10 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens attached 4–5 mm from corolla base; filaments 16.5–25 mm long; anthers 3–4.5 mm; lateral staminodes 0.7–1.3 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary densely puberulous in distal half; style glabrous; stigma 1.5–2.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 14–17.5 mm long, puberulous mainly on beak.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c.6.5 × 5 mm.

Distribution

Also in Angola, Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa (Limpopo, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape).

Ecology

Various types of dry woodland (Acacia, mopane), thicket and open wooded grassland, scrub on open rocky hillslopes, sandy or clay soils; 100–1200 m.

Conservation

Conservation notes: Widespread and often common; Least Concern.

Darbyshire, I., Manzitto-Tripp, E.A. & Chase, F.M. A taxonomic revision of Acanthaceae tribe Barlerieae in Angola and Namibia. Part 2. Kew Bull 76, 127–190 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-021-09928-5

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb or usually a subshrub, 20 – 150 cm tall, woody towards base, branches varying from prostrate to erect; lower stems densely and minutely white-velutinous, uppermost internodes with ± numerous patent glandular hairs and sparsely to densely puberulent, sometimes with scattered appressed-strigulose hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaf buds densely white-strigulose and/or -velutinous Leaves on petiole to 15 mm long; blade lanceolate, narrowly elliptic or ovate, 1.8 – 11.5 × 0.7 – 3.8 cm (l:w ratio 1.45 – 7.5: 1), base attenuate or cuneate, apex acute or rarely obtuse, apiculate, surfaces soon glabrescent except margin and midrib beneath sparsely strigulose; lateral veins 4 – 5 pairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary in the distal portion of the branches, cymes 1 – 3-flowered, rarely with 2 cymes per axil, often together forming a lax spike; cymes sessile or peduncle to 10 (– 25) mm long; bracts foliaceous but often much-reduced at upper nodes, where typically linear or oblanceolate, 11 – 20 × 2 – 5 mm, often with scattered glandular hairs; bracteoles linear, oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 6 – 20.5 × 0.5 – 3.5 mm, patent glandular-pubescent, veins strigulose; flowers sessile or pedicels to 4.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx weakly accrescent; anterior and posterior lobes equal, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 7 – 20 × 4 – 9.5 mm in flower, 12.5 – 25 × 9.5 – 13.5 mm in fruit, base cuneate or acute, apex rounded to subattenuate or that of anterior lobe often minutely notched, external surfaces ± densely patent glandular-pubescent or rarely these hairs sparse or absent, main veins strigulose, inner surface puberulous, venation palmate or subparallel, prominent; lateral lobes lanceolate, 5 – 9.5 mm long in flower, 9 – 13 mm in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 26.5 – 48 mm long, blue, mauve or lilac with paler tube, mouth either darker purple or white, whole flower rarely whitish at anthesis, lateral lobes eglandular- and glandular-pubescent externally, elsewhere glabrous; tube infundibuliform to narrowly so or almost cylindrical throughout, 13 – 18.5 mm long, basal cylindrical portion 3.5 – 4.5 mm wide, then rapidly to gradually widening to 4 – 12 mm at the throat; limb in “4+1” configuration; abaxial lobe offset by 3.5 – 7 mm, obovate, 12 – 18.5 × 7.5 – 15 mm, apex emarginate or rounded; lateral lobes obovate to elliptic 10 – 16 × 7.5 – 14 mm, apices obtuse to emarginate; adaxial lobes as lateral lobes but 6 – 10 mm wide

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens attached 4 – 5 mm from base of corolla; filaments 16.5 – 25 mm long; anthers 3 – 4.5 mm long; lateral staminodes 0.7 – 1.3 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary densely eglandular- and glandular-puberulous in distal half; style glabrous; stigma 1.5 – 2.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 2-seeded, 14 – 17.5 mm long, eglandular- and glandular-puberulous mainly on beak or sometimes with only antrorse-eglandular hairs; seeds ± 6.5 × 5 mm.

Distribution

Namibia (Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa Regions); widespread in southern Africa, occurring in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini and South Africa (Limpopo, North-West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal & Northern Cape Provs.);

Ecology

Barleria lancifolia is recorded in a wide range of habitats although it is most often associated with freely drained rocky ground including hillslopes and rocky deserts. Elsewhere, it occurs in open dry woodland and bushland (e.g. of Acacia [Vachellia and/or Senegalia] spp. or Colophospermum mopane), and along road verges where it is often abundant. It grows at 500 – 2000 m elevation. It occurs in a range of the vegetation types recognised by Mendelsohn et al. (2002), particularly in most of the sub-divisions of the Nama Karoo and the Acacia Tree-and-shrub Savanna. It is largely absent only in the Namib Desert lowlands along the coast, the Succulent Karoo in the southwest and most of the Broadleaved Tree-and-shrub Savanna of the northeast.

Conservation

This is the most commonly encountered Barleria species in Namibia, often being abundant in a range of habitats. It is also widely distributed and fairly common across southern tropical Africa, extending as far east as Southwest Mozambique, with an EOO of over 1,600,000 km2. Furthermore, it tends to grow in areas of low agricultural value, such as dry rocky slopes, and it is tolerant of some disturbance, often being common along roadsides. It is assessed as of Least Concern — LC.