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. |
|