Description :

• Herbs or subshrubs, sometimes scrambling or procumbent, and rooting at nodes
• Leaves entire
• Inflorescence axillary, umbel-like group of monochasial cymes; primary bracts foliaceous, secondary bracts usually linear-lanceolate, tertiary bracts ovate, elliptic, or linear-lanceolate, quaternary bracts linear-lanceolate
• Calyx regular; lobes 5, linear-lanceolate; tube shorter than lobes
• Corolla 2-lipped, resupinate, hairy; upper lip 3-toothed or shortly 3-lobed, rugula indistinct; lower lip entire or emarginate; aestivation ascending; tube shorter than lobes, cylindric below, somewhat campanulate above
• Androecium : fertile stamens 2, arising in corolla throat, exserted; filaments linear, thinly hairy; anthers 2-thecous; thecae superposed, muticous; staminodes 0
• Pollen prolate, 3-colporate, with pseudocolpi; surface reticulate
• Disc cupular, with V-shaped slit, with 2 awns
• Gynoecium : ovary ellipsoid, with 2 ovules in each locule; style filiform, exserted; style branches 2, equal, cylindriform, longer than broad
• Capsule stipitate, with inelastic placental bases
• Seeds discoid; surface rough and tuberculate
• x = 10 (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Peristrophe Nees
  • Nees von Esenbeck: 112 (1832)
  • Clarke: 84 (1901)
  • Balkwill: 83 (1996)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species ± 15, Africa to East Indies
• Southern Africa : Species 11, Namibia, Botswana and northern and eastern provinces of South Africa