Canscora alata (Roth ex Roem. & Schult.) Wall.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Along Nhamadzi river, lower Chimanimani Mts

Photo: Bart Wursten
Plateau above Nhagutua Gorge, Gorongosa National Park, Cheringoma

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Synonyms:	Canscora decussata (Roxb.) Roem. & Schult. Pladera decussata Roxb.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Branched, erect annual herb, 15-30 cm tall. Stem 4-winged, hairless. Leaves opposite, sessile but narrowing into a petiole-like base, lanceolate to ovate, 7-30 mm long, 3-veined, hairless. Flowers in terminal and axillary cymes, rarely solitary. Bracts sessile, 3-8 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, 3-veined. Calyx 4-winged, swollen towards the base; tube 5-8 mm long; teeth ovate-lanceolate, 1.5 mm long. Corolla white to pale pink; tube 6-8 mm long; lobes 4, unequal, up to 4 × 3.5 mm, obovate, sometimes emarginate. Fruit a cylindric capsule, 5.5-7.5 mm long.
Notes:	The specimens in the photographs, showing unequal, white corolla lobes and distinctly winged calyx and stems. appears to match Cansora alata (syn.: C. decussata), albeit it a rather small and young plant. However, although this is a widespread species, it has never been found within more than 500km from where this specimen was found. In Mozambique it is only known from Zambezia and, despite the fact that this specimen was found less than 1 km from the border, it has not been recorded from Zimbabwe. Any help in confirming the identity of this specimen would be very much appreciated. A second specimen was collected from the Cheringoma area, further North but still a long way South from previous known records.
Derivation of specific name:	alata: winged
Habitat:	In damp soil or marshy ground.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa (see note), Madagascar, tropical Asia and Australia.
Mozambique distribution:	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:	Thursday 3 April 2014
Literature:	Paiva, J. & Nogueira, I. (1990). Gentianaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(4) Page 37. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 92.

Other sources of information about Canscora alata:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Canscora alata
Flora of Malawi: Canscora alata

External websites:

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