Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (L.) Vahl

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Inhabited areas in Rustitu Valley.

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Synonyms:	Abena jamaicensis (L.) Hitchc. Stachytarpheta indica sensu auctt. Valerianoides jamaicensis (L.) Medic. Verbena jamaicensis L. Zapania jamaicensis (L.) Lam.
Common names:	Blue porterweed (English) Indian snakeweed (English) Jamaica vervain (English)
Frequency:
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Description:	Shrubby perennial herb, 0.3-1.2 cm tall. Stems sometimes woody at the base, hairy at the nodes, sometimes purplish. Leaves elliptic, oblong, obovate or spathulate, often decurrent into the petiole, hairless or with sparse hairs on the veins beneath; margin crenate-dentate; petiole up to c. 1 cm long. Inflorescence in slender terminal spikes 14-50 cm long. Bracts 5-8 mm long, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, not longer than the fruiting calyx, hairless. Calyx 5-6 mm long, tubular, ellipsoid, 4-toothed with 2 central teeth shorter. Corolla blue or violet, rarely almost white; tube 8-11 mm long, exserted up to 5 mm, slightly curved; lobes c. 3 mm long.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	jamaicensis: of Jamaica.
Habitat:	Widely cultivated as a garden ornamental, particularly in rural areas, where it locally escapes and occurs as a naturalised weed in abandoned cultivated fields, along road sides and in disturbed places.
Altitude range:
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Worldwide distribution:	Native of tropical America but now a more or less pantropical weed.
Mozambique distribution:	Z
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Fernandes, R. (2005). Verbenaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(7) Page 52. 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. District unknown Verdcourt, B. (1992). Verbenaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Page 19.

Other sources of information about Stachytarpheta jamaicensis:

Our websites:

Flora of Zimbabwe: Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Stachytarpheta jamaicensis

External websites:

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