Blepharis maderaspatensis (L.) Roth

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Photo: Brian Rode
Ngamiland Concession 22 - Vumbura, Okavango Delta

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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.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
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.
Type location:	India
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	maderaspatensis: from the Madras region of India
Habitat:	In a wide variety of grassland, shrub and woodland habitats, often in secondary and disturbed areas.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa, South Africa, Madagascar and extending to Asia
FZ divisions:	N,SE
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Sunday 18 October 2015
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. Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22 SANBI, Pretoria Page 22. 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 Meerts, P. et al. (2026). A checklist of the vascular plants of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. PhytoKeys 277 Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 39. 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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