Rubiaceae
Spermacoce

Spermacoce arvensis (Hiern) R.D.Good

First published in J. Bot. 65(Suppl. 2): 41 (1927)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Congo to Tanzania and S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:1. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb (3)8–30(70) cm. tall, sometimes slender in habit but often coarse and appearing quite different; stems drying blackish purple, often with paler longitudinal lines, densely covered with spreading hairs, usually sparingly branched or unbranched.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blades 1.3–7 cm. x 2–9 mm., lanceolate, acute at the apex, narrowed at the base into the stipule sheath, covered with long rather coarse hairs on both surfaces and also scabrid with shorter hairs near the margins; stipules with fimbriae crimson or red-brown in life but mostly blackish purple when dry; base 2 mm. long with 5–7 fimbriae 3–8 mm. long, with long white hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in many-flowered verticillate clusters, mostly at the upper nodes which run together to form a dense coarse strobilate inflorescence 0.7–1.5 cm. wide, but usually with 1 -2 clusters at the nodes beneath and well separated; bracteoles stipule-like, of 5–6 lanceolate fimbriae 5–6 mm. long, joined at the base, ciliate along the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube 1.8 mm. long, ellipsoid; lobes 2,3 mm. long, 0.6 mm. wide at the base, lanceolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white or with purplish tips to lobes outside or blue; tube 8–12 mm. long, very narrowly cylindrical; lobes 1.8–3 x 0.8–1.2 mm., narrowly elliptic or linear-oblong, sparsely hairy outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments exserted c. 1–2 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style exserted 1.2–2 mm.; stigma slightly bifid, 0.5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3–3.5 x 1.8–2 mm., ellipsoid, shortly hairy at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds chestnut-brown; 2.7 mm. long, 1.1–1.5 mm. wide, 0.9 mm. thick, semi-ellipsoid, shiny, flat and narrowly grooved ventrally, the groove opening out at each end, convex dorsally, rugulose.
[FZ]

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb (4.5–)8–30(–70) cm. tall, sometimes slender in habit but often coarse and appearing quite different; stems drying blackish purple, often with paler longitudinal lines, densely covered with spreading hairs, usually sparingly branched or unbranched.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades lanceolate, 1.3–7 cm. long, 2–9 mm. wide, acute at the apex, narrowed at the base into the stipule-sheath, covered with long rather coarse hairs on both surfaces and also scabrid with shorter hairs near the margins; stipules with fimbriae crimson or red-brown in life but mostly blackish purple when dry; base 2 mm. long, with 5–7 fimbriae 3–8 mm. long, with long white hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in many-flowered verticillate clusters, mostly at the upper nodes which run together to form a dense coarse strobilate inflorescence 0.7–1.5 cm. wide, but usually with 1–2 clusters at the nodes beneath and well separated; bracteoles stipule-like, of 5–6 lanceolate fimbriae 5–6 mm. long, joined at the base, ciliate along the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube ellipsoid, 1.8 mm. long; lobes 2, lanceolate, 3 mm. long, 0.6 mm. wide at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white or with purplish tips to lobes outside or blue; tube very narrowly cylindrical, 9.5–12 mm. long; lobes narrowly elliptic or linear-oblong, 1.8–3 mm. long, 0.8–1.2 mm. wide, sparsely hairy outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments exserted ± 1–2 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style exserted 1.2–2 mm.; stigma slightly bifid, 0.5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ellipsoid, 3–3.5 mm. long, 1.8–2 mm. wide, shortly hairy at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds chestnut-brown, semi-ellipsoid, 2.7 mm. long, 1.1–1.5 mm. wide, 0.9 mm. thick, shiny, flat and narrowly grooved ventrally, the groove opening out at each end, convex dorsally, rugulose.
Figures
Fig. 49/5, p. 340.
Habitat
Secondary deciduous woodland, bushland and grassland; 1200–1620 m.
Distribution
T4 T5
[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: 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