Cyanotis barbata D.Don

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Mt Rukotso, Nyanga

Photo: Bart Wursten
Mt Chinaka, Juliasdale

Photo: Bart Wursten
Connemara, World's View, Nyanga

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Synonyms:	Cyanotis abyssinica A. Rich. Cyanotis abyssinica A. Rich. var. glabrescens A. Rich. Cyanotis hirsuta Fisch., C.A. Meyer & Avé-Lall. var. glabra K. Schum. Cyanotis hirsuta Fisch., C.A. Meyer & Avé-Lall. Cyanotis parasitica (Hassk.) Hassk. Zygomanes parasitica Hassk.
Common names:
Frequency:	Locally occasional
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb with ascending or decumbent stems up to 45 cm long, arising from an underground corm. Basal leaf rosettes absent. Leaves along the stems often tinged reddish purple, linear lanceolate up to 19 cm long, sheathing at the base for up to 3 cm, more or less hairy on both surfaces; margins ciliate. Inflorescences from the upper 1-3 nodes. Bracts boat-shaped,1-8 cm long. Flowers subsessile 1-1.5 cm in diameter, opening in the morning blue to mauve, pink or magenta, rarely white or violet. Stamens 6, densely bearded with hairs of similar or contrasting colours. ; anthers sometimes dark blue, brown or black near the base, rest yellow to orange.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	barbata: with tufts of hairs, bearded
Habitat:	Among rocks in montane grassland, vleis, forest margins and in shallow soil on rocks.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Ghana, Cameroon, Bioko, DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Also in Yemen, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China.
Zimbabwe distribution:	E
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Monday 10 August 2015
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 244 - 245. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 294. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 18. Faden, R. (2012). Commelinaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 20 - 22. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 87. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 70. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 82.

Other sources of information about Cyanotis barbata:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Cyanotis barbata
Flora of Mozambique: Cyanotis barbata

External websites:

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