Polysphaeria lanceolata Hiern
subsp. lanceolata
var. lanceolata

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Polysphaeria lanceolata subsp. lanceolata var. lanceolata

Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
Levasflor, Cheringoma

Photo: Bart Wursten
Vunduzi River near Mt Bunga, Gorongosa National Park.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Path from Nhago Camp to nearby settlement, Coutada 12

Photo: Bart Wursten
Boundary stream, Swanepoel Timber Concession, Cheringoma

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along path to Mt Binga between Mussapa and Nhamadzi Rivers, Chimanimani National Reserve

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Synonyms:
Common names:	Polysphaeria (English)
Frequency:	Frequent
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or small tree. Leaves opposite, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, up to 15 cm, thinly leathery,glabrous, glossy dark green, midrib prominent below, apex sharply pointed; domatia absent; petiole 4-10 mm long; stipules triangular, keeled, 1.5-5 mm long. Flowers axillary in compact few-flowered heads; corolla c. 7 mm in diameter, white, pale lilac or pinkish, funnel-shaped, densely hairy in the throat. Fruit in dense clusters, subspherical, c. 10 mm in diameter, crowned the calyx lobes, fleshy, blue-green, red to purple-black when ripe.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	lanceolata: lanceolate, lance-shaped
Habitat:	In riverine forest and dry evergreen forest, often in the riverbed.
Altitude range:	Up to 1050 m
Flowering time:	May - Nov
Worldwide distribution:	Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe
Mozambique distribution:	N,T,MS,GI
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:	Saturday 18 January 2020
Literature:	Bridson, D.M. & Verdcourt, B. (2003). Rubiaceae, Part 3 Flora Zambesiaca 5(3) Pages 527 - 529. As Polysphaeria lanceolata lanceolata lanceolata Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 972. (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 166. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 99.

Other sources of information about Polysphaeria lanceolata subsp. lanceolata var. lanceolata:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Polysphaeria lanceolata subsp. lanceolata var. lanceolata
Flora of Zimbabwe: Polysphaeria lanceolata subsp. lanceolata var. lanceolata

External websites:

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