Dyschoriste thunbergiiflora (S.Moore) Lindau

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

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent, usually also with non-glandular hairs along veins and on lobes, (8–)10–22 mm long; teeth 4–11 mm long, from shorter to longer than tube

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla with limb nearly symmetric, trumpet-shaped with throat expanded downwards, white to mauve, purple or lilac or pale to dark blue, with darker patches at base of lower lip and in throat, tube yellowish, puberulent or sparsely so and with capitate glands, 28–65 mm long of which the linear tube 11–23 mm, the throat (7–)11–26 mm and the limb 9–20 mm, limb shorter than throat (rarely longer); lobes obovate-spathulate, recurved in mature flowers. Free part of filaments 7–15 mm long, hairy towards base, glandular or with mixture of glands and hairs towards apex; anthers (1.5–)2–2.5 mm long, spurs 1/4– 1/2 mm long. Style apically with mixture of hairs and stalked capitate glands

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 15–18 mm long, glandular near apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed ± 3 mm long.

Ecology

Dry Acacia, Acacia-Commiphora and Commiphora-Euphorbia bushland, often on stony soil or on rocky hills; (500–)800–1700(–1850)

Note

This large-flowered attractive shrub is widely cultivated both within and outside its natural distribution in East Africa.  Cultivated specimens have also been seen from W Uganda and NE Tanzania. Outside East Africa cultivated specimens have been seen from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. Iversen in Symb. Bot. Ups. 29, 3: 161 (1991) records this species from the E Usambara Mts ( T 3), but the specimen cited by him ( Ngoundai 400) is clearly of cultivated origin as are other collections from this area. It is possible that the species occurs as wild in NE Tanzania, but no definite records exist.

Type

Type: Kenya, Ukamba, Kitui, Hildebrandt 2719 (BM!, holo.; K!, P!, iso.)

Morphology General Habit

Much branched erect or scrambling sticky subshrub or shrub to 2 m tall; branches brittle, sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent when young, often with non-glandular hairs intermixed (very rarely without glands)

Morphology Leaves

Leaves ovate to elliptic, largest 1.5–5.5(–7.5) × 0.6–2.7(–3.2) cm, apex acute to truncate, puberulent to puberulous or sparsely so, sometimes densest along veins, often with intermixed capitate glands. Flowers in open axillary dichasial 3–18-flowered cymes or solitary towards tip of branches; peduncle and branches 1–15(–20) mm long, becoming woody when old, sparsely to densely glandular-puberulent (rarely also with longer pilose hairs); outer bracts elliptic, up to 1.5 cm long or like inner bracts and bracteoles: linear and up to 7 mm long, indumentum as leaves

Distribution

Flora districts: U1 K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 Range: Not known elsewhere