Acanthaceae
Dyschoriste

Dyschoriste pilifera Hutch.

First published in Botanist S. Afr.: 484 (1946)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central Tanzania to N. Zimbabwe. 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 (5) Acanthaceae Part 1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Type
Zambia, 78 km NE of Livingstone, 10.vii.1930, Hutchinson & Gillett 3501 (K holotype, BM, BR).
Morphology General Habit
Shrubby perennial herb; stems erect, branched, up to 1 m tall, sticky glandular-puberulent or densely so, with scattered to dense pilose hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sparsely puberulent, also often with scattered capitate glands; lamina ovate, largest 3.5–7.5 × 1.3–3 cm; apex acute to subacuminate; margin with hydatode-like glands
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in 1–3-flowered condensed axillary cymes; peduncle and branches to 1 mm long, indumentum as branches; bracts and bracteoles filiform to linear, to 3 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 8–13 mm long, not enlarged in fruit, glandular-puberulent or densely so, with scattered to dense pilose hairs; lobes 2–5 mm long, shorter than tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla slightly 2-lipped, pure white, 16–23 mm long of which linear tube is 8–11 mm, throat 5–8 mm and limb 3–5 mm, sparsely puberulent with scattered capitate glands; lobes subequal or slightly wider in lower lip, erect or spreading in lower lip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Free part of filaments 3–5 mm long, glabrous at apex; anthers 1.5–2 mm long, spurs 0.25 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule c.13 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds c.2.5 mm long.
Distribution
Zambia, Zimbabwe. Also in Tanzania.
Ecology
Dense thicket or scrub on rocky hillsides, streambanks; 500– 1200 m.
Conservation
Not threatened.
[FZ]

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

Type
Type: Zambia, 78 km NE of Livingstone, Hutchinson & Gillett 3501 (K!, holo.; BM!, K!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial or shrubby herb to 0.5 m tall with several erect to decumbent sparsely branched stems from a woody rootstock (rarely a shrub); stems glandular-puberulent to -puberulous or densely so, also with scattered to dense pilose hairs up to 3 mm long
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate to elliptic (rarely narrowly so), largest 3–7 × 1–3.3 cm, apex acute to subacuminate, subglabrous to puberulent or puberulous, with stalked capitate glands when young, often also with scattered pilose hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in condensed axillary 1–3(–12)-flowered cymes, more rarely in elongated dichasial cymes; peduncles up to 2(–13) mm long, branches up to 7(–20 in open dichasia) mm long; outer bracts lanceolate to elliptic, up to 1.8 cm long or as inner bracts and bracteoles: linear to lanceolate, up to 8 mm long, with scattered to dense capitate glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glandular-puberulent to -puberulous or densely so and with scattered to dense long glossy pilose hairs some or all of which over 1 mm long, 12–18(–22 in fruit) mm long; teeth 5–9(–10 in fruit) mm long, shorter than tube (rarely same length)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla slightly 2-lipped, pure white with pale yellow throat, puberulent and with scattered capitate glands, 20–26 mm long of which the linear tube 7–11 mm, the throat 6–10 mm and the limb 4–7 mm, throat longer than or same length as limb; lobes oblong to ovate, erect or spreading in lower lip. Free part of filaments 3–6 mm long, hairy at base, glabrous at apex; anthers 1.5–2 mm long, spurs ± 1/2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 11–13 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed ± 2.5 mm long
Ecology
A wide range of woodland, bushland and thicket on an equally wide range of soils from clayey flood-plains to rocky slopes; 850–1400 m
Note
Closely related to D. albiflora with which it shares the white flowers. It differs most conspicuously in the usually dense sticky glandular indumentum with long pilose hairs intermixed. The sparse material from Zambia and Zimbabwe has a considerable shorter calyx (8–13 mm long). But more material is needed to decide whether two infraspecific taxa can be recognised.
Distribution
Range: Zambia, Zimbabwe Flora districts: T5 T7
[FTEA]

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: low confidence
[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