Pentas purpurea Oliv.
subsp. purpurea

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Plateau near Nhamassa River, lower slopes Chimanimani Mts.

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Synonyms:	Pentas stolzii K. Schum. & K. Krause
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect perennial herb, up to 1.3m tall, with 1-4 unbranched stems growing from a woody rootstock, occurring in various types of grassland and open woodland. Leaves opposite, 3-15 cm long, oblong-lanceolate, elliptic or ovate, pubescent above and bristly hairy on the veins below; petiole very short or absent. Flowers in spherical heads, pale to deep purple-blue. Fruit a capsule, c. 4 × 3 mm, with a short blunt beak.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	purpurea: purple
Habitat:	In various types of grassland and open woodland.
Altitude range:	780 - 2100 m
Flowering time:	Nov - Jan
Worldwide distribution:	Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,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 30 September 2013
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 112 - 113. (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 248. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 43. As Pentas purpurea 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 73. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 166. Verdcourt, B. (1988). Rubiaceae, Part 1 Flora Zambesiaca 5(1) Pages 76 - 77. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 99.

Other sources of information about Pentas purpurea subsp. purpurea:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Pentas purpurea subsp. purpurea
Flora of Zambia: Pentas purpurea subsp. purpurea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Pentas purpurea subsp. purpurea

External websites:

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