8471.000 Spermacoce L.

Description of the genus

Annual or perennial herbs or small subshrubs. Stems often 4-angled. Leaves opposite or in false whorls. Stipular sheath present, divided into 1-many fimbriae. Flowers bisexual, usually in axillary many flowered clusters (which may run together to form a spike-like inflorescence); less often in terminal capitula. Flowers frequently intermixed with numerous ± scarious, filiform bracteoles. Calyx lobes 2-4(-8). Corolla funnel-shaped or salver-shaped; lobes (3-)4. Stamens 4, anthers usually exserted. Ovary 2-locular. Fruit usually a 2-valved capsule.

Worldwide: c. 150 - 250 species, mainly America, but also widespread in the tropics and subtropics

Zimbabwe: 13 taxa.

Spermacoce senensis

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

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
arvensis (Hiern) GoodN,W,C,E,S
bisepala Verdc.S
chaetocephala DC.N,W,C,EDescription, Image
dibrachiata Oliv.N,W,C,EDescription, Image
filifolia (Schumach. & Thonn.) J.-P. Lebrun & StorkN,CDescription, Image
huillensis (Hiern) GoodN
natalensis Hochst.EDescription, Image
princeae (K.Schum.) Verdc. var. princeae EDescription, Image
pusilla Wall.N,W,C,EDescription, Image
radiata (DC.) HiernS
senensis (Klotzsch) HiernN,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
sp. AN
subvulgata (K. Schum.) Garcia var. subvulgata N,W,C,EDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Spermacoce:

Our websites:

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

External websites:

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

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: Spermacoce.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1423, retrieved 29 March 2024

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