Acanthaceae
Cephalophis

Cephalophis lukei Vollesen

First published in Fl. Trop. E. Africa, Acanth.(2): 678 (2010)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Kenya, Mozambique. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb; basal part of stem creeping and rooting, apical part erect, to 1 m tall; young stems finely puberulous or sparsely so with antrorsely curved hairs, sometimes also with scattered stalked capitate glands.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves puberulous along midrib and lateral veins on both sides, glabrous on lamina; petiole to 5.5 cm; lamina ovate to elliptic or narrowly so, largest 10–20 × 3.5–9 cm; apex subacute to shortly acuminate; base cuneate to truncate, slightly to distinctly unequal-sided; margin slightly crenate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 15–30 cm long, sometimes with short lateral inflorescences from lowermost pair of nodes; peduncle 3–5 cm; peduncle and rachis puberulous and with stalked capitate glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary or in 3-flowered cymules towards base of inflorescence (rarely 2 cymules together), solitary towards apex; main axis bracts foliaceous at basal nodes, upwards narrowly oblong to narrowly obovate, 7–15 × 1.5–3 mm, with purplish apical part, puberulous, with scattered to dense stalked capitate glands (rarely glandular hairs only); cymule bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 0.5–1 cm long, with similar indumentum.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 7–11 mm long, divided to c.1 mm from base, puberulous with glossy capitate glands and minute non-glandular hairs; lobes purple towards apex, linear, acute, often recurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 2.2–2.8 cm long along upper lip, basal part of tube greenish, upper part of tube whitish, lower and upper lips purple with long (c.1 mm) curly glossy hairs all over, lower lip with white area along midrib and weakly rugulate with transverse white bands; basal tube cylindrical, 0.8–1.1 cm long; throat indistinct, 2–3 mm long; upper lip strongly curved and laterally flattened, 1.2–1.6 cm long, with 2 minute apical teeth; lower lip 7–9 × 6–8 mm, with 3 minute lobes c.1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments 1.1–1.5 cm long, glabrous; thecae 1.5–2 mm long, linear-oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 2.1–2.7 cm long, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 1–1.3 cm long, finely puberulous all over.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3–4 mm wide.
Distribution
Also in Kenya.
Ecology
In moist evergreen lowland forest; 50–150 m.
Conservation
Conservation notes: Local distribution in the Flora area in a much-threatened habitat; probably Vulnerable.
[FZ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/48153894/48154509

Conservation
EN - endangered
[IUCN]

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

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

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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