Striga latericea Vatke

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, up to 60 cm tall, unbranched or with 2–3 branches from base, pubescent; stem square, furrowed

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 20–35 x 4–6 mm, opposite, linear to lanceolate, slightly toothed, 3-veined, shorter than internodes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Lower bracts 20–33 x 2–6 mm, linear, often shorter than calyx, upper bracts lanceolate, shorter than calyx

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowers opposite in racemes, raceme lax at base, dense above middle, shorter than vegetative stem

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx at least 15-ribbed, 10–24 mm long; tube 10–15 mm long; lobes 5, unequal, broadly lanceolate, 5–15 mm long, longer than tube

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla salmon-pink; tube 22–30 mm long, bent and expanded distally above calyx, densely glandular-pubescent; lobes of lower lip 10–15(–20) x 7–9 mm, obovate; upper lip 7–13 x 13–14 mm, emarginate.

Distribution

N1, 2; S1, 3; Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Ecology

Altitude range 20–1500 m.

Note

S. latericea is a perennial that produces aerial shoots from adventitious buds developing from the roots, unique in the genus. The aerial parts also have a perennial habit with new shoots arising from the lower nodes after much of the stem matures and dies.

Scrophulariaceae, S.A. Ghazanfar, F.N. Hepper & D. Philcox. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type

Type: Kenya, Kitui, Hildebrandt 2752 (B†, holo.)

Morphology General Habit

Perennial semi-parasitic herb, 15–65 cm high.

Morphology Stem

Stems usually unbranched, finely hispid, internodes 2–7 cm long

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly opposite, lanceolate to linearlanceolate, 20–80 mm long, 2–6 mm wide, margins usually with a few coarse teeth on each side, finely hispid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences at first rather dense becoming laxer, 3–15 cm long; lower bracts leafy, upper shorter than calyx; bracteoles subulate, equalling calyx-tube

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 15-ribbed, densely hispid-pubescent along veins, 10–21 mm long; teeth linear-lanceolate, nearly equalling tube especially in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla salmon-pink, hairy in throat; tube 20–30 mm long, inflated well below limb; upper lip broadly obovate, 6–8 mm long, emarginate; lower lip deeply 3-lobed; lobes obovate to obovate-oblong, central lobe 11–19 mm long, 7–12 mm broad

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule compressedoblong, 9 mm long, acutely beaked.

Ecology

Seasonally wet places among grass; weed in sugar cane, maize, on Chrysopogon spp.; 100–1700 m

Conservation

Least Concern; (LC) common and widespread

Distribution

Range: Somalia Flora districts: K1 K4 K7 T2 T3