7980.000 Blepharis Juss.

Vollesen, K. (2000) Blepharis (Acanthaceae). A taxonomic revision. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Description of the genus

Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs. Leaves in false whorls of 4; one pair smaller than the other. Flowers in spike-like cymes. Calyx composed of 4 glumaceous sepals. Corolla 1-lipped; the lip 3-5-lobed. Stamens 4; 2 anterior filaments broader than the posterior. Ovary 2-locular. Capsule 2-seeded. Seeds discoid, covered with hygroscopic hairs.

Comment: Based on specimens present at the National Herbarium in Harare (SRGH), it has been suggested that Blepharis noli-me-tangere S. Moore has been recorded from the Southern Division in Zimbabwe (Mapaura & Timberlake, 2004). However, plants under this name are said to be found only in the extreme southwestern part of Angola (Vollesen, 2000). We therefore conclude that this species is not known from Zimbabwe. It is as yet unknown to which species the specimens at SRGH belong, which are erroneously labelled B. noli-me-tangere.

Worldwide: 126 species, widespread in tropical Africa, South Africa, Arabia, through India extending to SE Asia and China.

Zimbabwe: 15 taxa.

Blepharis aspera

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
acanthodioides KlotzschE,SDescription, Image
aspera Oberm.N,W,SDescription, Image
bainesii S. Moore ex C.B. ClarkeN,W,CDescription
diversispina (Nees) C.B. ClarkeE,SDescription, Image
drummondii Vollesen[End][DD]SDescription
glumacea S. MooreN,CDescription, Image
integrifolia (L.f.) E. Mey. ex Schinz var. integrifolia W,SDescription
involucrata SolmsN,W,CDescription
leendertziae Oberm.N,W,SDescription, Image
maderaspatensis (L.) RothN,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
pungens KlotzschN,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
sp.no.1 (Timberlake & Mapaure 4568)S
subvolubilis C.B.ClarkeN,C,W/SDescription, Image
tenuiramea S. MooreN,W,C,SDescription, Image
transvaalensis SchinzW,C,E,SDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Blepharis:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Blepharis
Flora of Caprivi: Blepharis
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Blepharis
Flora of Malawi: Blepharis
Flora of Mozambique: Blepharis
Flora of Zambia: Blepharis

External websites:

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

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Genus page: Blepharis.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1343, retrieved 29 March 2024

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