Acanthaceae
Dyschoriste

Dyschoriste albiflora Lindau

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 57: 21 (1920)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Acanthaceae (part 2), Kaj Vollesen. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type
Type: Tanzania, Rungwe District: Kyimbila, Bulambya, Stolz 1938 (B†, holo.; BM!, C!, K!, P!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Shrubby perennial herb, subshrub or shrub; stems erect to decumbent, sparsely to freely branched, up to 1(–1.5) m tall, subglabrous to puberulous or sericeouspuberulous when young
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate to elliptic, largest 4.3–10 × 1.7–4.5 cm, apex acute to subacuminate (rarely rounded), subglabrous to sparsely puberulous, densest along veins with lamina often glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in condensed axillary 1–12flowered cymes, sometimes 2 cymes per axil (very rarely in elongated dichasial cymes with up to 15 flowers and with peduncle and branches up to 1.5(–2) cm long); peduncle and branches up to 4 mm long, indumentum as branches; outer bracts lanceolate to elliptic, up to 2 cm long; inner bracts and bracteoles linear to lanceolate, up to 1.2 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx subglabrous to puberulous, densest on lobes and veins, tube often glabrous, hairs up to 1 mm long, (very rarely also with capitate glands), 10–16(–19 in fruit) mm long; teeth 4–8(–10 in fruit) mm long, shorter than, same length as or longer than tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla slightly 2-lipped, pure white (very rarely with faint mauve markings on lower lip), puberulent or sparsely so (rarely with intermixed capitate glands), 14–28 mm long of which the linear tube (4–)7–11 mm, the throat 4–10 mm and the limb 4–8 mm; throat from slightly longer to up to 2 mm shorter than limb; lobes oblong, erect or reflexed in lower lip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Free part of filaments 3–7 mm long, with short stubby hairs near base, glabrous upwards; anthers 1–2 mm long, spurs ± 1/2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 11–13 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed 2–3 mm long.
Ecology
Brachystegia woodland, often on rocky slopes or rocky outcrops but also on sandy to loamy soil, Combretum bushland on rocky limestone slopes, riverine thicket and woodland; (150–)1200–2100 m
Note
A single collection ( Richards 8753) has a few capitate glands on the calyx, but otherwise this species is consistently separated from D. pilifera and D.tanzaniensis by being eglandular.
Distribution
Range: Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique Flora districts: T4 T6 T7 T8
[FTEA]

J. R. Timberlake, E. S. Martins (2013). Flora Zambesiaca, Vol 8 (5) Acanthaceae Part 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Type
Tanzania, Rungwe Dist., Kyimbila, Bulambya, 15.iii.1913, Stolz 1938 (B† holotype, BM, C, K, P).
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb with several stems from a woody rootstock, shrubby herb or shrub; stems erect, usually branched, up to 1.5 m tall, subglabrous to puberulous when young with curled hairs, rarely with scattered long pilose hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves subglabrous to sparsely puberulous, uniform or densest along veins, rarely with long pilose hairs on veins; lamina ovate to elliptic, largest (3.5)4.5–10 × (1.2)1.7–4 cm; apex acute to acuminate, rarely rounded; lateral veins terminating in brownish hydatode-like glands
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in condensed axillary 1–7-flowered cymes, sometimes 2 cymes per axil, rarely in an elongated axillary cyme with peduncle and branches to 1 cm long; peduncle and branches to 3(6) mm long, indumentum as branches; outer bracts lanceolate to elliptic, to 2.5 cm long; inner bracts and bracteoles filiform to lanceolate, to 8 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 9–17 mm long, not elongating in fruit, sericeous-puberulent or sparsely so, densest on lobes and veins, tube often glabrous, sometimes with longer pilose hairs on lobes and veins, rarely with capitate glands; lobes 3–8 mm long, shorter than tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla slightly 2-lipped, pure white, very rarely with pink anthers, 17–29 mm long of which linear tube is 8–11 mm, throat 5–12 mm and limb 4–8 mm, puberulent; lobes subequal or slightly wider in lower lip, erect or reflexed in lower lip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Free part of filaments 4–7 mm long, with short stubby hairs near base, glabrous upwards; anthers 1–2 mm long, spurs 0.25–0.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 11–13 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2–3 mm long.
Distribution
Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique. Also in Tanzania.
Ecology
Woodland, often on rocky outcrops, riverine forest, thicket and woodland; (600)1000–1750 m.
Conservation
Widespread; not threatened.
[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]

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