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Thunbergia oblongifolia
Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (9)
Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba rd near Westaway
Photo: Bart Wursten
Cleveland Dam
Photo: Bill Clarke
South of Middle Dam, Val D'Or
Photo: Bill Clarke
South of Middle Dam, Val D'Or
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Thunbergia lancifolia sensu Mapaura & Timberlake non T. Anderson |
| Common names: | Early blue thunbergia (English) Mufurambudzi (Shona) Mukuvamvura (Shona) Musvisvinwa (Shona) |
| Frequency: | Common |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Perennial herb with stems to 70 cm, arising from a woody rootstock. Leaves: lamina 3-11 cm, lanceolate to elliptic or obovate. Flowers solitary; pedicels glabrous to pubescent; bracteoles glabrous to puberulous with non-glandular hairs. Calyx 1-3 mm long; lobes broadly triangular. Corolla limb blue to dark blue or mauve, rarely white; lower part of tube white to pale yellow. Capsule with beak 2 cm long. Seeds with lateral wing. |
| Type location: |
Tanzania |
| Notes: |
Notes: (a) The leaves are tough but cooked as a spinach and an infusion of the plant is used as a lotion for skin diseases. Children often pick the flowers to suck the sweet nectar. (b) The flowers of this species are similar to T. natalensis, which has ovate leaves, and the blue-flowered form of T. petersiana, which has irregularly dentate leaves. Both those species are restricted to the Eastern Districts. |
| Derivation of specific name: | oblongifolia: with oblong leaves |
| Habitat: | A common spring flower in open grassland and at the edges of Brachystegia woodland, especially after fire. The large, blue and yellow flowers are attractive but short-lived. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 1170 - 1660 m |
| Flowering time: | Aug - Nov |
| Worldwide distribution: | Tanzania, Burundi, DRC, Zambia and Zimbabwe |
| National distribution: | N,C,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: | Tuesday 8 February 2011 |
| Literature: |
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 15. as Thunbergia lancifolia Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 130, plate 171 Vollesen, K. (2013). Acanthaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 8(5) Page 44. |
Other sources of information about Thunbergia oblongifolia:
Our websites:
Flora of Burundi: Thunbergia oblongifoliaFlora of Mozambique: Thunbergia oblongifolia
Flora of Zambia: Thunbergia oblongifolia
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Thunbergia oblongifoliaAfrican Plant Database: Thunbergia oblongifolia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Thunbergia oblongifolia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Thunbergia oblongifolia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Thunbergia oblongifolia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Thunbergia oblongifolia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Thunbergia oblongifolia
JSTOR Plant Science: Thunbergia oblongifolia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Thunbergia oblongifolia
Plants of the World Online: Thunbergia oblongifolia
Tropicos: Thunbergia oblongifolia
Wikipedia: Thunbergia oblongifolia
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