Acanthaceae
Thunbergia

Thunbergia gossweileri S.Moore

First published in J. Bot. 49: 293 (1911)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. DR Congo to Angola. It is a climbing perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

J. R. Timberlake, E. S. Martins (2013). Flora Zambesiaca, Vol 8 (5) Acanthaceae Part 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Type
Angola, Kossuango, Kuivivi, xi.1906, Gossweiler 4188 (BM holotype).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb with several slender trailing or twining stems from a creeping rhizome; stems to 1 m long, subglabrous to sparsely pilose, densest below nodes
Morphology Leaves
Leaves green or slightly glaucous, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; petiole 1–6 mm long; lamina lanceolate to broadly ovate, largest 6–8 × 1.5–4.5 cm; apex acute to obtuse, apiculate, base truncate to cordate, sometimes with 2 weak subhastate lobes; margin entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, solitary, rarely one solitary plus a 2-flowered cyme per axil; pedicels 2.5–5.5 cm long, glabrous to sparsely puberulous or pubescent-pilose; bracteoles pale green with conspicuous (rarely inconspicuous) dark green venation, 1.3–2 × 0.4–0.9 cm, narrowly ovate or narrowly oblong to ovate, acute or subacute, base cuneate to truncate, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, ciliate along edges and midrib
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx puberulous, 1.5–2.5(4 in fruit) mm long, the narrowly triangular lobes ± 2/3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla pale to bright blue or bluish purple; tube 1.8–2.5 cm long; lobes 0.8–1.5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments 5–6 mm long, glabrous; anthers 2–2.5 mm long, second theca on spurred anther with vermiform appendage
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule depressed globose, 5–6 × 7–9 mm, puberulous, beak 10–13 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds dark brown, 3.5–4 mm in diameter, reticulately sculptured.
Distribution
Zambia. Also in Congo and Angola.
Ecology
Woodland and bushland on Kalahari sands; 1200–1500 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
[FZ]

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

  • 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