Rubia horrida (Thunb.) Puff

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Leonard's Loop, Mukuvisi Woodland, Harare

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Synonyms:	Galium horridum Thunb. Rubia petiolaris DC. var. heterophylla Sond.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial climber or scrambler with stems up to 3 m long, distinctly 4 ribbed, with recurved prickles on ribs. Leaves in whorls of 6-8, rarely up to 12, lanceolate to linear, up to 70 mm long; only midvein prominent; margins and midvein below with recurved prickles; petioles mostly 10-35 mm long, mostly with 2 rows of recurved prickles. Inflorescences several to many-flowered, lax to more or less dense; peduncles and pedicels 1-6 mm long, hairless or sometimes slightly hairy; ultimate bracts c. 2-5 mm long, linear. Corolla mostly 5-merous, 3-6 mm in diameter, greenish, yellowish green to yellow; Fruit with mericarps up to 3.7 mm in diameter, fleshy, blackish or dark purple, hairless.
Type location:	South Africa
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	horrida: rough, shaggy, prickly, referring to the small prickes present on many parts of the plant.
Habitat:	In bush clumps, scrub, open woodland or on riverbanks.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:	Nov-Apr
Worldwide distribution:	Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and possibly in Eswatini.
FZ divisions:	SE
Growth form(s):	Climber, perennial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 31. 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 74. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 99. Verdcourt, B. (1988). Rubiaceae, Part 1 Flora Zambesiaca 5(1) Page 195.

Other sources of information about Rubia horrida:

Our websites:

Flora of Zimbabwe: Rubia horrida

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Rubia horrida
African Plant Database: Rubia horrida
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Rubia horrida
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Rubia horrida
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Rubia horrida
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Rubia horrida
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Rubia horrida
JSTOR Plant Science: Rubia horrida
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Rubia horrida
Plants of the World Online: Rubia horrida
Tropicos: Rubia horrida
Wikipedia: Rubia horrida