Otiophora stolzii (Verdc.) Verdc.

First published in Kew Bull. 14: 351 (1960)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to Zambia. It is a subshrub 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]

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit
Perennial tufted or cushion herb 10–22 cm. tall, with up to ± 25 simple or branched erect or suberect mostly bifariously pubescent stems from a woody rootstock.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves paired; blades narrowly elliptic or linear- to elliptic-lanceolate, 0.7–2 cm. long, 1.3–8 mm. wide, subacute or obtuse at the apex, rounded or cuneate at the base, usually with revolute margins, pubescent with short bristly hairs above and with longer hairs on the midvein above and beneath or practically glabrous on both surfaces; petiole obsolete or up to 1 mm. long; stipules with 3–4 subulate fimbriae 0.5–2 mm. long from a short base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in small terminal heads ± 1 cm. long and wide which in the fruiting stage elongate to 1–3 cm., or very few at the apices of the shoots.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube ovoid, 0.8 mm. long, densely pilose with white hairs; lobes 4–5, 1–2 foliaceous, 2–6 mm. long, 0.5–2 mm. wide, similar in shape and indumentum to the leaf-blades, rest setiform, up to 0.8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla rose, pale blue, white, lilac or pink; buds with limb abruptly expanded into an ovoid head, glabrous or with a few bristly hairs at the apex; tube narrowly filiform, (3–)4.5–5.5 mm. long, 0.2 mm. wide, glabrous; lobes 4–5, lanceolate, 2.2–2.8 mm. long, 0.8–1 mm. wide, glabrous or with a few hairs outside at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4–5, exserted for usually just over half the length of the corolla-lobes; filaments glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style filiform, stigma bifid (rarely trifid), lobes filiform 1.5 mm. long; style and stigma together exserted for about the length of the corolla lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits elongate-ovoid, 2.2–2.5 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, spreading hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, oblong, 1.5–1.9 mm. long, 0.9–1.1 mm. wide, granulate, slightly keeled dorsally and with an oblong depression around the hilum.
Habitat
Grassland in rocky places in rock crevices and also recorded from a “muddy bank”; 2000–2520(–2700) m.
Distribution
T4 T7
[FTEA]

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:1. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Perennial tufted or cushion-forming herb with up to c. 25 stems from a somewhat woody rootstock.
Morphology Stem
Stems 10–20 cm. long, erect or suberect, often unbranched, mostly with 2 rows of hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves decussate; blades (7)10–20 x 1.3–6 mm., elliptic to linear-lanceolate, glabrous or sometimes a little hairy above; petioles subobsolete or to c. 1 mm. long; stipular sheath with 3 filiform setae to c. 1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence several-flowered, head-like, c. 1 cm. in diam. when in flower, somewhat elongated when in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx: enlarged, foliaceous lobe(s) 1(2), 3–6 x 1–2 mm., elliptic to linear-lanceolate, often glabrous, setiform lobes less than 1 mm. long.
Morphology General Buds
Bud with limb abruptly expanded into an ovoid head.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, pink, lilac or pale blue, tube 3.5–5.5 mm. long, filiform, glabrous, lobes 2–3 x 0.8–1 mm., lanceolate, sometimes a little hairy outside, filaments c. 1–2 mm. long, glabrous, anthers to c. 0.7 mm. long; style 5–6 mm. long, stigma lobes 1–1.5 mm. long; ovary c. 1 x 1 mm., densely hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit yellowish brown to dark brown; mericarps 2–2.5 x 1–1.5 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed brown, c. 1.5–2 x 0.8–1.2 mm., oblong, dorsal side convex, slightly keeled, ventral side ± flat.
[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
  • 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