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Asystasia gangetica
micrantha
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Photo: Brian Rode
Ngamiland Concession 22 - Vumbura, Okavango Delta
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Asystasia coromandeliana Nees Asystasia pinguifolia T. Edwards Justicia gangetica L. |
| Common names: | Chinese violet (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Erect or scrambling perennial, up to c. 1 m. Leaves opposite, ovate, occasionally finely hairy; margin entire. Flowers in a terminal, often one-sided raceme, white to pale mauve-blue with purple markings in the lower lip. |
| Notes: | Subsp. gangetica occurs in tropical Asia and the Pacific. It is a slightly more shrubby herb with larger purple flowers. It is sometimes used as an cultivated ornamental plant in tropical Africa but not known as an escape. |
| Derivation of specific name: | gangetica: of the Ganges River, India; micrantha: small-flowered |
| Habitat: | In a variety of habitats, often in light shade. |
| Flowering time: | Any time, mostly Nov - Mar |
| Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in tropical Africa, South Africa, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands and tropical Arabia. |
| Botswana distribution: | N |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | Junonia oenone oenone (Food plant) Junonia natalitica natalitica (Food plant) Salamis parhassus (Food plant) Hypolimnas misippus (Food plant) Junonia hierta cebrene (Food plant) Junonia terea elgiva (Food plant) Salamis anacardii nebulosa (Food plant) Astictopterus stellata mineni (Larval food plant) |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Content last updated: | Sunday 18 October 2015 |
| Literature: |
Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Pages 188 - 189. As Asystasia gangetica (Includes a picture). Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 138 - 139. as Asystasia gangetica (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 8. as Asystasia gangetica gangetica 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. As Asystasia gangetica Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2010). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora of Tropical East Africa Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pages 457 - 460. (Includes a picture). Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2015). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 8(6) Pages 126 - 128. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 324. (Includes a picture). Kelbessa, E. (1994). A Revision of Asystasia gangetica (L.) T. Anders (Acanthaceae) Proceedings of the XIIIth Plenary Meeting AETFAT, Malawi 1 Pages 333 - 346. (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 Asystasia gangetica subsp. gangetica Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 12. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 17. Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 23. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 33. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 193. as Asystasia gangetica Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 87. |
Other sources of information about Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha:
Our websites:
Flora of Caprivi: Asystasia gangetica subsp. micranthaFlora of Malawi: Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha
Flora of Mozambique: Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha
Flora of Zambia: Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha
Flora of Zimbabwe: Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Asystasia gangeticaAfrican Plant Database: Asystasia gangetica
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Asystasia gangetica
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Asystasia gangetica
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Asystasia gangetica
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Asystasia gangetica
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Asystasia gangetica
JSTOR Plant Science: Asystasia gangetica
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Asystasia gangetica
Plants of the World Online: Asystasia gangetica
Tropicos: Asystasia gangetica
Wikipedia: Asystasia gangetica
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