Lamiaceae
Endostemon

Endostemon obtusifolius (E.Mey.) N.E.Br.

First published in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(1): 296 (1910)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tanzania to S. Africa. It is a subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

J. R. Timberlake, E. S. Martins (2013). Flora Zambesiaca, Vol 8: part 8. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Type
Type: South Africa, Eastern Cape, between Umtentu and Umzimkulu rivers, 1837, Drège s.n. (BM lectotype), lectotypified by Ashby (1936).
Morphology General Habit
Aromatic perennial herb or small shrub, 0.3–1.5 m tall
Morphology Stem
Stems erect or ascending, quadrangular, 1 to several-stemmed, sometimes with a small rootstock but this lacking tuberous roots, branching above and from the base, woody at base, epidermis sometimes peeling in strips below, leafy or with leaf restricted to slender lateral branch, pubescent, densely pubescent or rarely subglabrous with glandular and eglandular patent hairs, sometimes becoming more glandular on the inflorescence axis
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ascending or spreading, petiolate; blades 15–40(70) × 8–20(40) mm, ovate or elliptic, serrate with serrations sometimes apiculate, apex obtuse or rounded, base cuneate or shortly attenuate, subglabrous, pubescent or densely pubescent and with yellowish sessile glands; petioles 3–15(20) mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence lax, with 2–10(12)-flowered verticils 5–25 mm apart, terminal; bract 3–5 mm long, linear to narrow ovate, entire, erect above forming an apical coma, deciduous below; pedicel spreading, terete, 3–6 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx (2)3–4 mm long at anthesis, spreading or ascending, pubescent and with sessile glands; fruiting calyx downward-pointing or spreading, 4–7 mm long; throat glabrous; lobes of lower lip lanceolate, posterior margin of lateral lobe not extended towards the upper lip; upper lip green or purplish in flower, similar in texture to rest of calyx in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white marked pink or rarely recorded as pink, 4–8 mm long; tube 3–7 mm long, straight, parallel- sided, dilated at throat; lobes 4, with sessile glands, upper lobe emarginate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments 1 mm long, pilose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets 2 mm long, oblong-elliposid, glabrous or with very few hairs on truncate apex, producing small amount of mucilage when wet.
Distribution
Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Also found in S Tanzania, Angola, South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu- Natal and Eastern Cape) and Swaziland.
Ecology
In Brachystegia or Uapaca woodland on sandy or rocky ground; 630–1500 m.
Conservation
Widespread; Least Concern.
Recognition
Endostemon obtusifolius is similar to E. villosus but differs in habit and flower size. The two species are allopatric. Both are similar to E. membranaceus (Benth.) A.J. Paton & Harley, a central African species that differs from E. obtusifolius by having a larger fruiting calyx with a membranous upper lip, and from E. villosus by having a shrubby habit and smaller corollas.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Lamiaceae (Labiatae), A.J. Paton, G. Bramley, O. Ryding, R.M. Polhill, Y.B. Harvey, M. Iwarsson, F. Willis, P.B. Phillipson, K. Balkwill, C.W. Lukhoba, D.F. Otieno, & R.M. Harley. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Type
Type: South Africa, Transkei, between Umtenta and Umzimkulu Rivers, Drège s.n. (BM!, lecto K!, isolecto.)
Morphology General Habit
Aromatic shrub to 1 m tall; 0.3–1.5 m elsewhere
Morphology Stem
Stems erect, quadrangular, brittle, sometimes arising from a small woody rootstock but this lacking tuberous roots, branching above, pubescent with patent glandular and eglandular hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate; blades ovate to elliptic, 3–7 × 1.1–4 cm, serrate with serrations minutely apiculate, apex acute to obtuse, base truncate or broadly cuneate, sparsely pubescent and with sessile glands; petioles 5–15 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence lax, with 2–4-flowered verticils 5–10 mm apart; bracts narrowly ovate, 1 mm long, erect above forming an inconspicuous apical coma; pedicels 3 mm long, terete, spreading
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 2 mm long at anthesis; fruiting calyx shortly tubular; throat open in fruit, glabrous, 4–7 mm long; teeth of anterior lip lanceolate, posterior margin of lateral lobe not extended towards the posterior lip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, 4–5 mm long, 4–8 mm long elsewhere; tube 4 mm long, straight, dilating at throat; 4-lobed, posterior lobe emarginate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary glabrous or sparsely pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets not seen, elsewhere 2 mm long, narrowly ovoid in outline, triangular in cross-section, truncate, glabrous or with few hairs at apex.
Ecology
Brachystegia thicket; 550 m
Conservation
Least concern; widely distributed
Note
Similar in habit to E. usambarensis but differing chiefly in much shorter, white corollas. Differs from E. villosus in shorter, white rather than pink corollas and in a smaller rootstock lacking tuberous roots. The only specimen recorded from East Africa, on which the above description is based, differs from specimens found from Zambia, Mozambique and further south by its fewer-flowered verticils and larger leaves.
Distribution
Range: Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa Flora districts: T8
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0