| Acanthopale laxiflora | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Acanthaceae |
| Genus: | Acanthopale |
| Species: | A. laxiflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Acanthopale laxiflora | |
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| Tanzania in its region | |
Acanthopale laxiflora is a weak shrub growing up to two meters tall with woody stems. It is usually grown as an ornamental plant. [1] It grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.
Within the lush confines of Tanzania's Lushoto District, nestled amid the majestic Usambara Mountains' Magamba Forest, flourishes an intriguing botanical specimen. [2] This shrubby herb or soft-wooded shrub, attaining heights of up to 2 meters, features young stems adorned with distinctive wings and occasional appressed hairs at the nodes. Its foliage, characterized by an ovate to elliptic shape, measures between 6.5 and 18.5 cm in length and 2.5 to 7 cm in width for larger leaves. Notable for its acuminate to cuspidate apex and attenuate base, the foliage bears sporadic hairs along the midrib and veins beneath, with a modest array of hairs gracing the upper lamina.
During its reproductive phase, elongated racemes, extending up to 16 cm in length, adorn the plant, boasting winged peduncles and short pedicels. The calyx, measuring between 7 and 12 mm, typically exhibits a glabrous or sparsely sericeous appearance, adorned with linear lobes. The corolla, cloaked in pristine white hues with a regal purple throat or streaks therein, boasts sparse hairiness along a narrow dorsal band. [3]
Ecologically, this botanical marvel thrives in the damp embrace of evergreen montane forests, flourishing at altitudes ranging from 1800 to 2300 meters. Despite superficial similarities to the West African A. decempedalis, nuanced variations in bract and calyx indumentum set it apart. Notably, the plant has been observed to contribute to mass flowering events and subsequent diebacks, as evidenced on Mt. Kilimanjaro during the years 1992 and 1993. While its distribution remains limited to this region, its presence enriches and diversifies Tanzania's botanical landscape. [4]
Chlorophytum comosum, usually called spider plant or common spider plant due to its spider-like look, also known as spider ivy, airplane plant, ribbon plant, and hen and chickens is a species of evergreen perennial flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae. It is native to tropical and Southern Africa but has become naturalized in other parts of the world, including Western Australia and Bangladesh. Chlorophytum comosum is easy to grow as a houseplant because of its resilience, but it can be sensitive to the fluoride in tap water, which commonly gives it "burnt tips". Variegated forms are the most popular.
Acanthopale is a plant genus of shrubs or subshrubs in the Acanthaceae plant family. The genus name is based on the classic Greek words for thorn ákantha and stake palum. Some species in the genus are cultivated as ornamental plants.
Symphoricarpos albus is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family known by the common name common snowberry. Native to North America, it is browsed by some animals and planted for ornamental and ecological purposes, but is poisonous to humans.
Roscoea nepalensis is a perennial herbaceous plant found in Nepal. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. nepalensis, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions.
Ipomoea arborescens, the tree morning glory, is a rapidly-growing, semi-succulent flowering tree in the family Convolvulaceae. This tropical plant is mostly found in Mexico, and flowers in late autumn and winter. Its common name in Nahuatl is Cazahuatl or Cazahuate.
Acanthopale pubescens is a species of the genus Acanthopale of the family Acanthaceae. The species occurs in East and Southern Africa. Acanthopale pubescensis also known as Herayye in Ethiopia.
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Combretum trifoliatum is a vine of the family Combretaceae. It is found from Myanmar across Southeast Asia and Wallacea to New Guinea and Australia. It grows in wet places, including where it can be submerged for four months a year by floodwaters. It is unusual in retaining its photosynthesizing leaves when flooded. Parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine.
Tennantia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Rubiaceae. It only contains one known species, Tennantia sennii(Chiov.) Verdc. & Bridson
Atractocarpus hirtus, commonly known as the hairy gardenia or native loquat, is a plant in the coffee family Rubiaceae, a large family of some 6,500 species with a cosmopolitan distribution. This species is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Cyananthus formusus is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae. It is native to grassy slopes and forests of northwest Yunnan in China. In Mandarin the species is known as 美丽蓝钟花. Originally described by Ludwig Diels in 1912 in the Notes of the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh, the species is a small, blue-flowered plant suitable for Alpine gardens.
Lepechinia hastata is a rare species of perennial shrub in the mint family commonly known as the Cape pitcher sage or Baja pitcher sage. Lepechinia hastata is an aromatic shrub characterized by large, arrowhead-shaped leaves and attractive purple to magenta flowers. In the wild, it is known from the forested mountains of the Sierra de la Laguna in Baja California Sur and the volcanic Socorro Island in the Pacific Ocean, both part of Mexico. The plants of Socorro Island are their own subspecies, and differ in their white flowers and wooly, grayer foliage.
Justicia purpusii is a species of flowering plant in the Acanthus family commonly known as Purpus' hummingbird flower or chuparosa. This shrub is characterized by long orange-red tubular flowers that bloom from November to April. It is endemic to the Cape region of Baja California Sur, Mexico, where it is found growing in tropical deciduous forest and thorn scrub in canyons and along wet slopes. It is similar to its more northern relative adapted to drier climates, Justicia californica. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that both species are closely related and form a clade.
Myosotis × bollandica, also known as the Bowland forget-me-not, is a hybrid species of flowering plant within the genus Myosotis and family Boraginaceae. The hybrid displays an overall appearance intermediate between the parent species M. secunda and M. stolonifera.
Primula wollastonii, also known as Wollaston's primrose, is a species of flowering plant within the genus Primula and family Primulaceae. The species was first discovered and collected by A. F. Wollaston during an exhibition to Mount Everest in 1921. The plant would later be scientifically described by Scottish botanist Isaac Bayley Balfour, who named the species P.Wollastonii after a request from Wollaston who had first discovered it.
Azanza thespedioides is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. The species is endemic to Australia, and is found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. It grows at elevations up to 380 meters in open forests and around thickets. The species was first described in 2016. In 2020, a new variety of the species, var. flaviflora was described. This variety is found in Western Australia, while the original var. thespesioides is found in the Northern Territory.
Jatropha rivae, indigenous to the regions from Ethiopia to Tanzania, thrives as a robust shrub in desert and dry shrub land environments, reaching heights of up to 2.5 meters. This densely branched plant holds significance in local communities, serving both medicinal purposes and acting as a natural insect repellent. Harvested from the wild on occasion, its utilization underscores its importance in traditional practices and natural pest control methods.