Rotheca myricoides (Hochst.) D.A. Steane & Mabb.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Bue Maria, Gorongosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
School site Nhancuco, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road from Nhabawa to Chikukwa, Chimanimani National Reserve

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Synonyms:	Clerodendrum myricoides (Hochst.) R.Br. ex Vatke Clerodendrum ugandense Prain
Common names:	Blue cat's whiskers (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or small multi-stemmed tree. Leaves opposite or 3-4-whorled, usually crowded near the ends of branches, ovate to broadly elliptic, up to 9 × 5 cm, velvety above, often densely woolly and paler below; petiole obscured by the decurrent leaf base; margin coarsely toothed. Flowers in few-flowered terminal and axillary heads, showy, c. 2 cm in diameter, purple-blue and white with long exserted stamens. Fruit c. 10 mm in diameter, 2-4-lobed, surrounded by the spreading calyx lobes when young, red to black when ripe.
Notes:	Many varieties and forms have been described. These, however, appear to grade into each other and are here not further included.
Derivation of specific name:	myricoides: resembling a species of Myrica, referring to the leaf shape
Habitat:	In thickets in rocky places, along streams and at the edges of evergreen forest.
Altitude range:	Up to 1700 m
Flowering time:	Oct - Feb
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Burundi, DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,T,MS,GI,M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Wednesday 5 February 2020
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 142 - 143. as Clerodendrum myricoides (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 191. Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Pages 849 - 850. under various subtaxa (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 14. As Clerodendrum myricoides Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 31. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 990 - 991. Coates Palgrave, M. (1989). Guide to the trees and shrubs of the Mukuvisi Woodlands ?publisher. Page 30. as Clerodendrum myricoides Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 572 - 573. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 272. As Clerodendrum myricoides Fabian, A. & Germishuizen, G. (1997). Wild Flowers of Northern South Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeburg. Pages 344 - 345. as Clerodendrum myricoides (Includes a picture). Fernandes, R. (2005). Lamiaceae (subfamilies: Viticoideae and Ajugoideae) Flora Zambesiaca 8(7) Pages 136 - 143. Fernandes, R.B. & Verdcourt, B. (2000). Rotheca (Lamiacae) Revived: More New Combinations Kew Bulletin 55(1) Pages 150 - 152. 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 56. under various varieties Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 578 - 580. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 79. Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 72. As Clerodendron myricoides (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 183. as Clerodendrum myricoides Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 370 - 371. as Clerodendrum myricoides (Includes a picture). Verdcourt, B. (1992). Verbenaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 130 - 136. as Clerodendrum myricoides in Verbenaceae Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 93.

Other sources of information about Rotheca myricoides:

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Flora of Botswana: Rotheca myricoides
Flora of Burundi: Rotheca myricoides
Flora of Caprivi: Rotheca myricoides
Flora of Malawi: Rotheca myricoides
Flora of Zambia: Rotheca myricoides
Flora of Zimbabwe: Rotheca myricoides

External websites:

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