Amaranthaceae
Achyranthes

Achyranthes fasciculata (Suess.) C.C.Towns.

First published in Kew Bull. 34: 424 (1980)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. Tanzania. It is a scrambling subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Amaranthaceae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Bushy or scandent herb, with numerous ± divaricate branches, 0.5–1.5 m. (probably more); stem and branches quadrangular with paler angles, moderately to densely brownish tomentose with ascending or upwardly appressed hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves oblong-ovate to oblong-elliptic, 2–5 × 1.3–2.8 cm., dark green and moderately appressed pilose on the upper surface, whitish (especially when young) and ± densely appressed pilose beneath, acuminate, shortly cuneate to subtruncate at the base with a distinct petiole to ± 1.3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal on the stem and axillary in the upper leaves by branch reduction, silvery and commonly ± pink-flushed, formed of fascicles of spikes of considerably dissimilar length, the longest to ± 4.5 × 1.5 cm., on a tomentose peduncle 1.5–6 cm. long, axis villous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts membranous, lanceolate, 3–4.5 mm., finally deflexed, glabrous, long-aristate with the excurrent midrib.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles membranous lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm., glabrous or the margins shortly and finely ciliate, the arista formed by the excurrent nerve comprising half the length.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals glabrous, narrowly lanceolate; 2 outer straight or slightly curved at the tips, faintly 1–3-nerved, 5.5–8 mm., sharply pointed and shortly aristate with the ± perceptibly excurrent midrib, hyaline margins absent; 2 inner slightly shorter, 1-nerved, delicately and rather broadly hyaline-margined, narrowly tapering but not sharply pointed; middle tepal intermediate, 1-nerved, one margin hyaline.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth and bracteoles apparently falling together.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2.5–4 mm.; pseudostaminodes oblong-flabelliform. 1.5–2.5 mm., with an incurved dentate apical lobule and a densely long-fimbriate dorsal scale.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary obpyriform, ± 1.5 mm., with a firm, rounded apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style slender, 3–3.5 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Mature fruit not seen.
Habitat
Upland grassland and mist forest on volcanic soils; 1820–2730 m.
Distribution
not known elsewhere T2
[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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

  • 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 2024. 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 2024. 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