Acanthaceae
Thunbergia

Thunbergia fasciculata Lindau

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 17: 97 (1893)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Togo to SW. Ethiopia and SW. Kenya. It is a liana and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Acanthaceae (part 1), Kaj Vollesen, Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2008

Morphology General Habit
Herbaceous twiner to 3(–5) m; stems sparsely sericeous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves with petiole 3–10.5 cm long, indumentum as stems; lamina cordiform or broadly so, largest 6.5–9 × 4.5–6.5 cm, apex acuminate, mucronate, base deeply cordate, margin irregularly and coarsely dentate, sparsely sericeous-puberulous, densest along veins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in 2–6-flowered pedunculate axillary fascicles, concealed between two large foliaceous subsessile bracts; peduncle 4.5–10(–13) cm long, sericeous-puberulous or sparsely so; bracts broadly ovate to cordiform, 3.5–5 × 2.5–4 cm, acuminate to cuspidate, truncate to subcordate at base, dentate to serrate, indumentum as leaves; pedicels 6–13 mm long, puberulous and with scattered to dense stalked capitate glands; bracteoles ovate-elliptic, 1.6–1.9 × 0.9–1.1 cm, acute or subacute, apiculate, truncate at base, puberulous or sparsely so and with scattered to dense stalked capitate glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx with long pilose hairs, no glands, rim ± 0.5 mm high, segments broadly triangular, ± 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla purple to deep bluish purple with yellow throat; cylindric tube 1–2 cm long; throat broadly campanulate, 2.5–3 cm long, 1–1.5 cm diameter apically; lobes 1.5–2 × 2–2.5 cm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments ± 8 and 10 mm long; anthers 2–4 mm long, indistinctly apiculate, densely bearded at base; all thecae spurred, spurs 1.5–2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Immature capsule ± 8 mm in diameter, densely pilose, beak ± 2 cm long, parallel-sided.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed not seen.
Distribution
Range: Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo-Kinshasa, Sudan, Ethiopia Range: Uganda. Range: Kenya. Range: Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo-Kinshasa, Sudan, Ethiopia Flora districts: U2 U4 K5
Ecology
Wet lowland and lower montane forest; 800–1600 m
[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]

Acanthaceae, H. Heine. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Climber with sparingly pilose stems
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers completely hidden by two leaf-like sessile bracts until full-out, corolla yellow or purplish with yellowish tube.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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