Ruspolia decurrens (Hochst. ex Nees) Milne-Redh.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Swanepoel Concession, Cheringoma

Photo: Bart Wursten
Clouds Pool area, Gorongosa National Park, Muanza

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Synonyms:	Eranthemum decurrens Nees Eranthemum senense Klotzsch Pseuderanthemum decurrens (Nees) Radlk. Pseuderanthemum senense (Klotzsch) Radlk.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Scrambling or decumbent shrubby herb to 1 (-1.5) m tall with ascending flowering branches; plant drying green. Leaves opposite, ovate to elliptic, largest 5.5 - 17.5 cm long, abruptly narrowed below into a long decurrent base, hairless or sparsely hairy. Flowers solitary or in 3(-5)-flowered cymules forming unbranched cymes to 40 cm long; lower nodes in inflorescence to 1-4 cm long. Inflorescence axis finely hairy and with stalked capitate glands. Calyx 5-9 mm long, with hairs and stalked capitate glands. Corolla salmon-pink to orange-red with numerous darker spots towards the centre and on the outside of the lobes with long curly hairs but no stalked, capitate glands; tube linear, 1.8-2.8 cm long; lobes elliptic, 8-14 mm long. Capsule 2-3 cm long. Inner surface of the seed with irregular ridges.
Notes:	Although not mentioned in any literature flowers of specimens on the Cheringoma Plateau often are a fantastic deep yellow in colour. The specific name of this species refers to the decurrent leafbase but this is not a reliable identification characteristic as in fact all three species in Mozambique have decurrent leaf bases.
Derivation of specific name:	decurrens: decurrent, running down, referring to the leaf base running down the petiole.
Habitat:	In riverine forest, shady places in woodland and rocky hills and on termite mounds.
Altitude range:	150 - 1300 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	CAR, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,T,MS
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:	Monday 19 July 2021
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 48. Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2015). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 8(6) Pages 137 - 138. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 19.

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Flora of Botswana: Ruspolia decurrens
Flora of Malawi: Ruspolia decurrens
Flora of Zambia: Ruspolia decurrens
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ruspolia decurrens

External websites:

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