Thunbergia mufindiensis Vollesen

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb with 1–5 erect stems from large creeping rootstock; stems to 75 cm long, quadrangular, glabrous to puberulous or pubescent with curly non-glandular hairs, with distinct bands of longer hairs at nodes.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves dark green, glossy, palmately veined; petiole 1–3 mm long on vegetative leaves, indumentum as on stems; lamina ovate-lanceolate to ovate (rarely elliptic), largest 3–6.5 × 1–3 cm, usually more than twice as long as wide, apex acute to obtuse, apiculate, base truncate to cordate with hastate (rarely rounded) lobes, margin entire to irregularly dentate in basal half, glabrous to puberulous, densest on veins (rarely glabrous).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary; pedicels 1.5–6 cm long, puberulous or sparsely so, sometimes only apically; bracteoles pale green, with conspicuous raised dark green reticulation, more rarely with obscure reticulation, ovate-oblong, 1.3–2.3 × 0.5–0.9 cm, acute to obtuse, with a mixture of glandular and non-glandular hairs along veins and margins, more rarely uniformly puberulous without glands.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous to minutely puberulous, 1–2(–4 in fruit) mm high of which the broadly triangular lobes about half.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla limb and upper part of tube deep blue to deep purple, lower part of tube white, throat yellow; tube 2.5–4 cm long; lobes 1.5–2 × 1.7–2.5 cm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filaments 8–10 mm long, glabrous or glandular at base; anthers 2–2.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style with scattered glands.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Immature capsule 6–8 mm in diameter, beak 10–13 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed not seen.

Distribution

Range: Not known elsewhere Range: Tanzania. Flora districts: T7 Range: Not known elsewhere

Ecology

Brachystegia woodland, often on rocky hills, montane grassland, persisting along tracks in pine plantations; 1450–1950 m

Note

It also generally grows at lower altitudes. This species, which is endemic in Iringa District, differs from T. natalensis in its narrower leaves with hastate basal lobes and shorter petiole, its darker corolla with larger lobes and capsule with shorter beak.