Lythraceae
Ammannia

Ammannia elata A.Fern.

First published in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2.A, 48: 125 (1974 publ. 1975)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Tanzania to Mozambique. It is a helophyte or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Aquatic glabrous plant with stout prostrate stem, 4–8 mm. wide (dry), ± 1–1.2 m. long, profusely rooting at the nodes; stem pale, angled; adventitious roots ±10 cm. long.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves narrowly triangular-lanceolate, 2–3.5(–6) cm. long, 0.6–1 cm. wide, narrowly acute at the apex, truncate to slightly rounded auriculate-cordate at the base; lateral venation ± obscure; petiole ± obsolete or scarcely 1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes numerous, up to about 1.2 cm. wide in fruit, 7–15(–20 or probably more)-flowered; peduncle 3–5 mm. long; secondary branches ± 2 mm. long; pedicels 1–2 mm. long; bracteoles filiform, minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube obconic-angular, ± 1(–1.75) mm. long, becoming broadly cupular in fruit, up to 1.5 mm. long, ± 3 mm. wide; lobes 4, broadly triangular, 0.8 mm. tall, ± 2 mm. wide; appendages minute, evident in bud.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 4, white (pale lilac in dried material), rounded-obovate, 1.2–1.5 mm. long, 1–1.2 mm. wide, very fugitive.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4–8.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style and capitate stigma together 0.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule dark red, globose, 2–3 mm. wide, bursting irregularly.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds pale brown, concave-convex, 0.5 mm. long.
Figures
Fig. 12/9–12, p. 39.
Habitat
In permanent rock-pool; prob. ± 900 m.
Distribution
K7
[FTEA]

Lythraceae, A. Fernandes. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual herb up to 1·-2 m. high.
Morphology Stem
Stem unbranched or with a few very short branches, thick (c. 6 mm. in diameter), exfoliating longitudinally, 4-gonous below, 4-winged upwards.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves up to 60 × 8 mm., decussate, narrowly lanceolate, attenuated to the subacute apex, almost hastate-cordate at the base, obscurely penninerved, the midrib impressed above prominent beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Dichasia not very dense, c. 20-flowered; primary peduncle 4-gonous, c. 4 mm. long, the secondary and the tertiary c. 2 mm.; pedicels 1–1·5 mm. long; bracteoles minute, c. 1·25 mm. long, linear, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube 1·75 mm. long, campanulate, with 8 longitudinal ribs; calyx-lobes 4, c. 1 × 1 mm., triangular; appendages 4, shorter than the calyx-lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 4, c. 1 × 0·75 mm., pinkish, caducous, subcircular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4–8; filaments c. 1–5 mm. long; anthers c. 0·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary c. 1 mm. in diameter, globose, ovules numerous; style 0·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule c. 3 mm. in diameter, globose, usually slightly exceeding the calyx-lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds c. 0·5 mm. long, brownish, angular.
[FZ]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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 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