Justicia mollugo C.B. Clarke

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Justicia mollugo

Picture: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Justicia mollugo

Picture: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Justicia mollugo

Picture: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Justicia mollugo

Picture: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Justicia mollugo

Picture: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Justicia mollugo

Picture: Bart Wursten
Luwawa Forest Reserve, Viphya

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Justicia heterocarpa sensu Lindau
Justicia leptocarpa sensu Lindau
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Small, erect annual herb, up to 25 cm high but often less than 10 cm high. Sometimes growing from a small tuber. Stems sparsely hairy. Leaves more or less narrowly ovate to elliptic, 4-23 mm long, sparsely puberulous on midrib and margins, often with stalked glands; petiole up to 5 mm long. Flowers axillary, in clusters of 2-4, rarely solitary; bracts lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, up to 8 mm long, sparsely, puberulous or with scattered ciliae; bracts fused to the pedicel as if flowers appear to be attached to the petiole. Calyx with lobes 2-4 mm long, sparsely puberulous-ciliate, yellowish green. Corolla white or mauve-pink with a more or less distinct pattern on the lip; tube white, 2-3 mm long; lower lip 2-3.5 mm wide. Capsule 3-5 mm long, pointed, sparsely puberulous near the apex or rarely hairless.
Type location:
Malawi
Notes: Some of the specimens we found in full flower were less than 5 cm tall (see image 1). We can only agree with the quote in Flora Zambesiaca volume 8 part 6 (2015:208): "This must be a strong contender for the smallest Acanthaceae in the world".
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat: In Brachystegia woodland, grassland and on rocky hills, sometimes in disturbed woodland, along roadsides or in pine plantations.
Altitude range: 1000 - 2400 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Angola, DRC, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): N,W,C
Zambian distribution (Provinces): Nw,Cb,N,Mc,C,Lk
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Friday 15 March 2019
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 51.

Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2015). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 8(6) Page 208.

Hedrén, M. (1988). The taxonomy of the Justicia mollugo group (Justicia, sect. Harnieria, Acanthacae) Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. de Belgique 58 (1/2) Pages 140 - 146. (Includes a picture).

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 19.

Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 34.

Other sources of information about Justicia mollugo:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Justicia mollugo
Flora of Malawi: Justicia mollugo
Flora of Mozambique: Justicia mollugo

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Justicia mollugo
African Plant Database: Justicia mollugo
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Justicia mollugo
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Justicia mollugo
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Justicia mollugo
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Justicia mollugo
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Justicia mollugo
JSTOR Plant Science: Justicia mollugo
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Justicia mollugo
Plants of the World Online: Justicia mollugo
Tropicos: Justicia mollugo
Wikipedia: Justicia mollugo


Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-24

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2024). Flora of Zambia: Species information: Justicia mollugo.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=181500, retrieved 28 March 2024

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