Pseuderanthemum hildebrandtii Lindau

Flora Zambesiaca Acanthaceae (part 2) by Iain Darbyshire, Kaj Vollesen and Ensermu Kelbessa

Morphology General Habit

Erect shrubby herb or shrub to 2 m tall; plant drying black; young stems pale yellow to orange-brown, smooth and shiny, glabrous to puberulous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous to sparsely pubescent, densest along veins; petiole to 2(4) cm long; lamina ovate, largest 2.5–16 × 1–7 cm; apex acuminate to obtuse, base attenuate and decurrent to cuneate, abruptly narrowed or not below middle.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes to 12 cm long, often much less, sometimes reduced to apparently solitary flowers in upper leaf axils, unbranched or branched, often with additional cymes from upper leaf axils; flowers solitary or in 3–7-flowered cymules, sometimes with 2 cymules per bract at lower nodes; axis glabrous to sparsely puberulous; lower pair(s) of bracts usually foliaceous (in reduced cymes looking as if flowers all solitary and axillary), others lanceolate to narrowly triangular, glabrous or sparsely puberulous-ciliate, 1–3 mm long; pedicels 1–3(4) mm long, glabrous; bracteoles as bracts, often with narrow scarious margin, 1–2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx sparsely ciliate on outside, inside puberulous with thick hairs, 3–5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla orange-red to scarlet, with darker centre, sparsely puberulous outside, rarely subglabrous, with a mixture of hairs and capitate glands, sometimes ± entirely glands; tube straight, basal linear part 2.2–3.2 cm long, throat 3–4 mm long; lobes 9–16 × 4–8 mm in lower lip, elliptic-obovate, rounded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens exserted; filaments 2–3 mm long; anthers dark purple, 1–1.5 mm long, rounded to apiculate, glabrous on connective.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 1.9–2.7 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4–6 × 3–5 mm, deeply reticulate on inner side, smooth to slightly reticulate on outer side, rim smooth.

Distribution

Also in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Ecology

Coastal and lowland forest and thicket; altitude unknown.

Conservation

Conservation notes: Known from only one locality in the Flora area; probably Vulnerable here, but not threatened elsewhere.