Flora Zambesiaca

Taxon Detail

FZ volume:1 part:1 (1960) Capparidaceae by H. Wild

(Search other Kew databases for: Cleome hirta)

Cleome hirta (Klotzsch) Oliv.

F.T.A. 1: 81 (1868). — Briq. in Ann. Conserv. Jard. Bot. Genève, 17: 363 (1914). — R.E.Fr., Wiss. Ergebn. Schwed. Rhod.–Kongo-Exped. 1: 49 (1914). — Gilg & Bened. in Engl., Bot. Jahrb. 53: 162 (1915). — Eyles in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 5: 355 (1916). — Burtt Davy, F.P.F.T. 1: 121 (1926). — Bremek. & Oberm. in Ann. Transv. Mus. 16: 414 (1935). — Exell & Mendonça, C.F.A. 1 1: 56 (1937). — Hauman & Wilczek, F.C.B. 2: 515 (1951). Type: Mozambique, Sena, Peters (B, holotype).

Synonyms:

Cleome bechuanensis Bremek. & Oberm.

in Ann. Transv. Mus. 16: 413 (1935). Type: Bechuanaland Prot., Chobe R., Kabulabula, van Son (PRE, holotype; SRGH).

Cleome pentaphylla

sensu Hopkins, Bacon & Gyde, Comm. Veld Fl.: 59 (1940).

Cleome pulcherrima Busc. & Muschl.

in Engl., Bot. Jahrb. 49: 467 (1913). — Gilg & Bened., loc. cit. Type from Tanganyika.

Decastemon hirtus Klotzsch

in Peters, Reise Mossamb. Bot. 1: 157 (1861). Type as above.

Polanisia hirta (Klotzsch) Pax

in Engl., Bot. Jahrb. 10: 14 (1888). Type as above.

Distribution:

Botswana

N: Chobe R., 60 km. N. of Kachikau on road to Kazane, fl. & fr. 11.vii.1937, Erens 393 (K; PRE; SRGH).

SE: Kwena, 20 km. W. of Gaberones, fl. & fr. 5.v.1955, Reineke 328 (K; PRE).

Malawi

C: Kasungu, fl. & fr. 26.viii.1946, Brass 17431 (K).

N: Mzimba, Mbawa Exp. Station, fl. & fr. 5.iv.1955, Jackson 1590 (K; SRGH).

S: Blantyre, fl. & fr. 1876, Simons (BM).

Mozambique

GI: Guija Distr., R. Limpopo, fl. & fr. vii.1915, Gazaland Exped. (PRE; SRGH).

M: Manhiça, Mugaba, fl. 15.iv.1945, Gomes e Sousa 175 (BM; LISC; PRE).

MS: Maringa, fl. & fr. 26.vi.1950, Chase 2498 (BM; K; SRGH).

N: east coast of Lake Nyasa, fl. & fr. Johnson 28 (K).

T: Boroma, Msusa, fl. & fr. Chase 2687 (BM; K; PRE; SRGH).

Zambia

B: near Senanga, fl. & fr. 30.vii.1952, Codd 7241 (K; PRE; SRGH).

E: Katete, fl. 11.ii.1957, Wright 148 (K).

N: Luapula R., Miloki, fl. & fr. 6.ix.1953, Fanshawe 272 (K).

S: Livingstone, fl. i.1910, Rogers 7257 (K; SRGH).

Zimbabwe

C: Que Que Reserve, fl. & fr. 8.i.1955, Ward 7 (SRGH).

E: Sabi Valley, Mtema, fl. 28.i.1948, Wild 2394 (K; SRGH).

N: Darwin, fl. & fr. 14.vi.1921, Eyles 3103 (SRGH).

S: Gwanda, Bubye R., fl. & fr. v.1955, Davies 1277 (SRGH).

W: Bulawayo, fl. & fr. 15.ii.1944, Hopkins in GHS 11741 (K; SRGH).

Range:

Angola;  Belgian Congo;  Kenya;  Somaliland;  SW. Africa;  Tanganyika;  Transvaal;  Uganda; 

Habitat:

A plant of open woodlands in rainfall areas of usually less than 75 cm. p.a., i.e. in Acacia or Colophospermum mopane woodland rather than in Brachystegia woodland. 

Description:

Coarse, aromatic, viscid, erect herb up to 1.6 m. tall; branches striate, pubescent with gland-tipped hairs. Leaves 5–7–9-foliolate, on glandular, hairy petioles up to 7 cm. long but often less: leaflets 0.5–5.5 x 0.05–0.5 cm., linear, linear-lanceolate or narrowly oblong-lanceolate, subacute or rounded at the apex, cuneate at the base, glandular-hairy on both sides or sometimes glabrescent, decreasing in size upwards and passing into the sessile bracts which are commonly 3-foliolate but occasionally simple or 5-foliolate. Inflorescence a terminal raceme which is moderately dense at first but eventually becomes greatly elongated in fruit; pedicels slender, glandular-pubescent. Sepals up to 1.2 cm. long, linear, subulate towards the apex, glandular-hairy outside. Petals up to 1.9 x 0.4 cm., purplish or pink, paler towards the base, with a lanceolate-oblong lamina rounded at the apex and with a distinct basal claw from 1/3 to almost as long as the lamina. Stamens 10–12, filaments up to c. 2.5 cm. long, purplish, very slender, often glandular-pubescent towards the base, exserted; anther-thecae c. 2 mm. long, linear-oblong. Ovary linear, glandular-pubescent, with a short, glandular gynophore c. 2 mm. long even when young; style c. 2 mm. long, glabrous; stigma subcapitate. Capsule up to 16 x 0.4 cm., linear, on a glandular gynophore 0.5–2.0 cm. long; valves glandular-pubescent or glabrescent, with 7–9 anastomosing, longitudinal nerves; persistent style 3–5 mm. long. Seeds 2––2.5 mm. in diam., transversely tuberculate-rugose with a very minute, mealy-glandular pubescence visible at a x 40 magnification.

Notes:

The plant described as C. bechuanensis represents the dry-season form which has narrower leaves and smaller flowers than typical C. hirta. C. pulcherrima was described from a specimen collected allegedly by the Duchess of Aosta near Broken Hill in N. Rhodesia but Gilg and Benedict have shown (loc. cit.) that in reality it was based on a specimen collected in Tanganyika by von Prittwitz, so it does not really concern us here.