Scrophulariaceae
Melanospermum

Melanospermum transvaalense (Hiern) Hilliard

First published in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 45: 483 (1988 publ. 1989)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Zimbabwe to S. Africa. It is an annual and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland 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]

Scrophulariaceae, D. Philcox. Flora Zambesiaca 8:2. 1990

Morphology General Habit
Erect herb, 5–8(16) cm. tall, simple to much-branched, minutely glandular-pubescent occasionally sparsely mixed with simple white hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, or alternate above; lower leaves 7–17 mm. long, lamina 3.5–11 x 0.8–4 mm., obovate to broadly elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse at apex, tapering to narrow, petiole-like base up to 7 mm. long, entire to more rarely laxly broad-toothed; upper leaves 4.5–17(24) x 0.5–2.3 mm., linear to lanceolate-linear, acute, entire to laxly dentate with up to 2 teeth on each margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers sessile to subsessile in short, terminal, spherical or slightly elongated spicate heads.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts 1.6–2.4 x 0.5–0.6 mm., oblong, obtuse, apex rounded, attached at base to pedicel where present and to base of calyx.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicel 0–0.25 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 1.9–2.2 mm. long, deeply 5-lobed, regular or apparently bilabiate possibly due to different depth of free portion of lobes; lobes 0.25–0.5(0.8) mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white to pale pinkish-mauve with yellow-orange throat; tube up to 2 mm. long, 0.7 mm. in diam., strict, widening at mouth; lobes c. 1.5 mm. long, broadly obovate, rounded at apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary c. 1 mm. long, 0.5 mm. in diam., ellipsoid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 2.8–3 mm. long, exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers globular, exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule c. 2.5 mm. long.
[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