Cantinoa americana (Aubl.) Harley & J.F.B.Pastore

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Photo: Helen Pickering
NW of Livingstone: road to Vistana farm (turn right (north) about 2 kms before the western park gate). Drive about 5 kms to top of a hill, quarry on right.

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Synonyms:	Hyptis spicigera Lam. Leucas microscypha Baker Nepeta americana Aubl.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Introduced
Description:	Annual herb, up to 2.5 m tall, with an unpleasant smell. Stem erect, with numerous flowering branches above, quadrangular with small recurved prickles on the angles. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate to ovate, 2.5–10 cm long, with tiny rigid hairs especially near margins and along veins beneath; margin coarsely serrate; petiole 0.5–4 cm long. Inflorescences terminal, spike-like, composed of many subsessile overlapping congested, 10–20-flowered clusters; bracts leaf-like, smaller upwards; bracteoles numerous, linear, 3–5 mm long, coarsely ciliate, giving the inflorescence a bristly appearance. Calyx 3.5–4 mm long, extending to 7 mm in fruit; tube covered in sessile glands and with long hairs toward apex and around the mouth; lobes linear, 2–3 mm long. Corolla white fading to mauve-pink, 3–4 mm long Fruit a pale to occasionally dark brown nutlet, oblong-ellipsoid, slightly compressed, 1.5–1.6 mm long, smooth.
Notes:	Though not cited for Zimbabwe by Paton et Al. in FZ 8(8), 2013, the species is listed for the Eastern Division by Mapaura & Timberlake in Sabonet Report 33: 55, 2004, based on specimens present at SRGH.
Derivation of specific name:	spicigera: spike-bearing
Habitat:	By rivers, lakes and swamps, on flood plains and in cultivated areas.
Altitude range: (metres)	450 - 1200 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Native of tropical America, now widespread in tropical Africa, South Africa and elsewhere in the tropics.
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
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 156 - 157. (Includes a picture). 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 55. Paton, A.J. et al. (2013). Lamiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(8) Page 105. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 69. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 78.

Other sources of information about Cantinoa americana:

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Flora of Botswana: Cantinoa americana
Flora of Burundi: Cantinoa americana
Flora of Malawi: Cantinoa americana
Flora of Zambia: Cantinoa americana

External websites:

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