Rotheca cyanea (R.Fern.) R.Fern.

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol 8, Pt 7. Avicenniaceae, R. Fernandes. Nesogenaceae, M.A. Diniz. Verbenaceae, R. Fernandes. Lamiaceae, R. Fernandes. 2005.

Morphology General

An erect few- to much branched shrub 1.2–4 m tall, or sometimes a tree to c. 6.5 m tall, often also flowering on herbaceous sucker or coppice shoots

Morphology Branches

Branches 4-angled, somewhat thick, with a well developed central pith, glabrous or yellow-brownish puberulous towards the apices soon glabrescent, often with prominent scattered lenticels; bark on young branches, dark brown, soft, becoming longitudinally wrinkled when dry Branches 4-angled, somewhat thick, with a well developed central pith, glabrous or yellow-brownish puberulous towards the apices soon glabrescent, often with prominent scattered lenticels; bark on young branches, dark brown, soft, becoming longitudinally wrinkled when dry.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, distinctly petiolate, ± closely spaced on the upper part of the flowering branches; lamina 6–17 × 2–7.7 cm, narrowly to broadly elliptic or lanceolate, rarely ovate-elliptic, acute to acuminate or sometimes obtuse at the apex, cuneate or rarely rounded at the base, usually entire to obscurely ± sparsely crenulate or nearly so, ± concolorous, ± coriaceous when dry, usually densely minutely punctate beneath, glabrous; petiole 0.8–3 cm long, somewhat thick, reddish-purple, glabrous or puberulous and soon glabrescent in young leaves Leaves opposite, distinctly petiolate, ± closely spaced on the upper part of the flowering branches; lamina 6–17 × 2–7.7 cm, narrowly to broadly elliptic or lanceolate, rarely ovate-elliptic, acute to acuminate or sometimes obtuse at the apex, cuneate or rarely rounded at the base, usually entire to obscurely ± sparsely crenulate or nearly so, ± concolorous, ± coriaceous when dry, usually densely minutely punctate beneath, glabrous; petiole 0.8–3 cm long, somewhat thick, reddish-purple, glabrous or puberulous and soon glabrescent in young leaves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style c. 5 cm long, whitish; stigma reddish-purple

Ecology

Swamp-forest (mushitu) and dambo margins, and in riverine forest; 1160–1760 m.

Note

Some specimens, mainly of Dem. Rep. Congo, cited by authors as Clerodendrum violaceum Gürke, C. caesium Gürke or C. cabrae De Wild., belong to R. cyanea.

Distribution

Also in Angola. Zimbabwe Zambia District code: MAL C, MAL W, ZIM E.

Morphology General Habit

An erect few- to much branched shrub 1.2–4 m tall, or sometimes a tree to c. 6.5 m tall, often also flowering on herbaceous sucker or coppice shoots.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a loose terminal glabrous panicle, 8–18 cm long, consisting of opposite cymes subtended by foliaceous bracts, the lowermost pair of cymes in the axils of the two uppermost leaves; sometimes with additional smaller panicles terminal on lateral branchlets; the lower floral internode 2–7.5 cm long, those above successively shorter; peduncles of the lowermost pair of cymes 5–8 cm long, spreading or subreflexed, the upper successively shorter; bracts up to 4 × 2.8 cm, subpetiolate; pedicels 2–7 mm long, glabrous, reddish-purple. Inflorescence a loose terminal glabrous panicle, 8–18 cm long, consisting of opposite cymes subtended by foliaceous bracts, the lowermost pair of cymes in the axils of the two uppermost leaves; sometimes with additional smaller panicles terminal on lateral branchlets; the lower floral internode 2–7.5 cm long, those above successively shorter; peduncles of the lowermost pair of cymes 5–8 cm long, spreading or subreflexed, the upper successively shorter; bracts up to 4 × 2.8 cm, subpetiolate; pedicels 2–7 mm long, glabrous, reddish-purple

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 6–8 mm long and 6.5–10 mm in diameter about the tips of the lobes, obliquely obconical, pale green below, magenta or purple towards the apex, glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy; lobes 1.5–3 mm long, 3–4 mm wide at the base, equalling or shorter than the tube, ± semicircular, erect or partially to completely reflexed (the 3 stages often present on the same specimen), ciliolate. Calyx 6–8 mm long and 6.5–10 mm in diameter about the tips of the lobes, obliquely obconical, pale green below, magenta or purple towards the apex, glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy; lobes 1.5–3 mm long, 3–4 mm wide at the base, equalling or shorter than the tube, ± semicircular, erect or partially to completely reflexed (the 3 stages often present on the same specimen), ciliolate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pale or bright to deep blue, or mauve to lilac, or the 4 lateral lobes pale blue and the median lobe dark blue, or the 4 lateral lobes pale violet and the median lobe deeper violet; tube 7–11.5 mm long and 4–4.5 mm in diameter; lateral lobes 9.5–13(17) × 6–8.5 mm, oblong-obovate, the median one 14–20 × 8.5–10 mm, deeply concave, all ciliolate at the margins; corolla limb when in bud 10–12 mm in diameter, spherical, glabrous. Corolla pale or bright to deep blue, or mauve to lilac, or the 4 lateral lobes pale blue and the median lobe dark blue, or the 4 lateral lobes pale violet and the median lobe deeper violet; tube 7–11.5 mm long and 4–4.5 mm in diameter; lateral lobes 9.5–13(17) × 6–8.5 mm, oblong-obovate, the median one 14–20 × 8.5–10 mm, deeply concave, all ciliolate at the margins; corolla limb when in bud 10–12 mm in diameter, spherical, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers 1.75–2.5 mm long. Anthers 1.75–2.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style c. 5 cm long, whitish; stigma reddish-purple.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit c. 12 mm in diameter, subglobose, glossy, at first reddish or reddish-brown, black or blue-black when ripe; fruiting calyx saucer-shaped, c. 13 mm in diameter, papery, pale green in the centre, red-purple towards the margin. Fruit c. 12 mm in diameter, subglobose, glossy, at first reddish or reddish-brown, black or blue-black when ripe; fruiting calyx saucer-shaped, c. 13 mm in diameter, papery, pale green in the centre, red-purple towards the margin.