Home | > | List of families | > | Verbenaceae | > | Lantana | > | swynnertonii |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | Ternate lantana (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Shrubby perennial herb, up to 1.5 m tall, rarely taller. Leaves usually in whorls of three, lanceolate to broadly ovate, 3-7.5 cm long, deep green, more or less concolorous, hispid above; pubescent beneath with bristly hairs on the veins; veins slightly impressed above, raised beneath; margin closely crenate-serrate with 16-24 shallow teeth each side; petiole 5-7 mm long. Inflorescenses up to 2.5 cm in diameter, one per leaf axil on a peduncle 6-14 cm long, usually 1.5-2.5 times longer than the subtending leaf. Bracts ovate, lanceolate or elliptic, 5-10 mm long, becoming shorter above, appressed hairy on both surfaces. Flowers pinkish-mauve to purplish greatly exceeding the bracts. Fruit a drupe 2-3 mm long, bright purple. |
Notes: | Closely related to the invasive exotic L. camara but far more restricted in distribution. It can be distinguished by much smaller size, absence of hooked thorns and deep Mauve-pink and white flower heads. |
Derivation of specific name: | swynnertonii: named after Charles Francis Massey Swynnerton (1877-1938), well-known naturalist, who first recorded and collected many species of flora and fauna in and around the Chirinda Forest |
Habitat: | In miombo woodland, riverine scrub, open submontane thicket and along margins of evergreen forest. |
Altitude range: | 750 - 1850 m |
Flowering time: | Dec - Mar |
Worldwide distribution: | Mozambique and Zimbabwe. |
Mozambique distribution: | Z,MS |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | Near Endemic |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Monday 21 December 2020 |
Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 36. Darbyshire, I., Timberlake, J., Osborne, J., Rokni, S., Matimele, H., Langa. C., Datizua, C., de Sousa, C., Alves, T., Massingue, A., Hadj-Hammou, J., Dhanda, S., Shah, T., Wursten, B. (2019). The endemic plants of Mozambique: diversity and conservation status Phytotaxa 136 Page 95. Fernandes, R. (2005). Verbenaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(7) Pages 26 - 27. 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 82. Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 101, plate 138 |
Home | > | List of families | > | Verbenaceae | > | Lantana | > | swynnertonii |