Blepharis maderaspatensis (L.) Roth

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Main recepion area, Akagera National Park, Kayonza

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Nemba Airstrip, Bugesera

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Synonyms:	Acanthus maderaspatensis L. Blepharis abyssinica Hochst. Blepharis boerhaviifolia Pers. Blepharis boerhaviifolia Pers. var. micrantha Sond. Blepharis boerhaviifolia Pers. var. nigrovenulosa De Wild. & T. Durand Blepharis gueinzii T. Anderson Blepharis maderaspatanus (L.) Roth var. abyssinica (Hochst.) Fiori, Boschi & Piante Blepharis maderaspatensis (L.) Roth subsp. rubiifolia (Schum.) Napper Blepharis teaguei Oberm.
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Description:	Procumbent or scrambling perennial or rarely annual herb. Stems up to 2.5 m long, sometimes rooting at the nodes, often finely hairy. Leaves ovate, elliptic or slightly obovate, 2-10 cm long, more or less hairy, particularly along the veins, often greyish below; margin entire or with a few scattered teeth. Flowers solitary or in clusters of up to 15 flowers. Bracts greenish-brown, sometimes with purple veins, elliptic-obovate to almost round, puberescent to almost hairless, ending in a recurved bristle with 4-10 barbed bristles, up to 7 mm long, on each side of the margin. Corolla white or cream, with mauve or purple veins, 10-27 mm long; lip oblong-obovate, 4-13 mm wide, lobes more or less of same length, central lobe narrower than side lobes.
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Derivation of specific name:	maderaspatensis: from the Madras region of India
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Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa, South Africa, Madagascar and extending to Asia
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Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Saturday 23 September 2023
Literature:	Champluvier, D. (1985). Acanthaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume III Pages 441 - 443. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 9. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 6. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 18. Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Namibia Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 73. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 326. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 13. as subsp maderaspatensis and subsp. rubiifolia Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 18. Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 14. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 17. Vollesen, K. (2000). Blepharis (Acanthaceae). A taxonomic revision. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pages 198 - 206. (Includes a picture). Vollesen, K. (2013). Acanthaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 8(5) Pages 74 - 76. (Includes a picture).

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Flora of Botswana: Blepharis maderaspatensis
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Flora of Malawi: Blepharis maderaspatensis
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Flora of Zimbabwe: Blepharis maderaspatensis

External websites:

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African Plant Database: Blepharis maderaspatensis
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Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Blepharis maderaspatensis
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Wikipedia: Blepharis maderaspatensis