Ammannia aspera Guill. & Perr.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136662263/136662272

Conservation

LC - least concern

Lythraceae, A. Fernandes. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Annual erect or ascending herb, 4–25 cm. high.

Morphology Stem

Stem 4-gonous, glabrous or minutely scabrous or hispidulous, branched at the base, the lower branches procumbent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 7–27 x 3–10 mm., decussate, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, all subacute at the apex, the upper ones cordate or subcordate, the lower ones cuneate-attenuate at the base, subglaucous, sometimes minutely hispidulous beneath on the nerve and at the margin.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Dichasia 3-few-flowered, sessile or ± long-pedunculate; pedicel of the middle flower up to 4 mm. long; bracteoles almost as long as the calyx, oblong-lanceolate, whitish, with green or greenish nerve.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 4(5–6)-merous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx c. 2 mm. long, sometimes hirtellous; lobes 1/3–1/4 of the tube length; appendages erect, c. twice as long as the lobes, ciliolate at the top.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 0 or very rarely present.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4(5–6), episepalous, with the filaments c. 1 mm. long, inserted below the middle of calyx-tube and attaining the lobe-apices.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 2-locular; style and stigma as long as 1/3–1/2 of the ovary length (c. 0·5 mm.).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule c. 1·5 mm. in diameter, scarcely exceeding the calyx-lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 0·25 mm., brownish.

Lythraceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Erect or ascending, branched near the base, 3–6 in. high

Ecology

In damp places.

Lythraceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1984

Morphology General Habit

Erect or decumbent glabrous or often scabrid to shortly hairy annual herb, 4–25 cm. tall; stems 4-angled, branched near base, the lower branches procumbent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves decussate, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, 0.7–2.7 cm. long, 3–10 mm. wide, subacute at the apex, the upper cordate, subcordate or ± rounded at the base, the lower cuneate-attenuate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 4(–6)-merous, 3–few in sessile or pedunculate dichasia; peduncles 1.5–4 mm. long; pedicels 1–1.5 mm. long or that of pole flower up to 4 mm.; bracteoles whitish with green nerve, oblong-lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube cupular, ±1.5 mm. long; lobes broadly triangular, 0.3–0.5 mm. long; appendages erect, ± twice as long as the lobes, sometimes ciliolate at apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals absent or very rarely present.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens inserted below middle of the calyx-tube and reaching apices of lobes, filaments ± 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary ± 1 mm. in diameter; style and stigma 0.3–0.6 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule globose, ±1.5 mm. in diameter, scarcely exceeding calyx-lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds brownish, ± 0.25 mm. long.

Figures

Fig. 6/7–14, p. 17.

Habitat

Damp depressions and abandoned paddy fields; ± 1300 m.

Distribution

T4