Inflorescence
axillary; dichasial cymes or solitary flowers; pedicels present or very short; bracts resembling leaves; bracteoles 0
Calyx
lobes 4; subregular; tube shorter than lobes
Corolla
2-lipped, subregular or irregular; upper lip 2-lobed, with lobes recurved, sometimes bifid, rugula distinct; lower lip 3-lobed, with lobes strongly reflexed; aestivation imbricate; tube longer than lobes, cylindric below, widening above, sometimes somewhat saccate on widened portion
Androecium
: fertile stamens 4; filaments didynamous, arising in pairs, usually broadly linear, sometimes with coarse setae, arising ± in middle of corolla tube or in mouth or on base of upper lip; anthers 2-thecous; thecae parallel, muticous; staminodes 0
Disc
deeply cupular
Gynoecium
: ovary oblong or linear-oblong, with 10-13 ovules in each locule; style terete-filiform, ± exserted, running in rugula; style branch 1; ventral lobe flattened
Capsule
linear or linear-oblong, estipitate, with inelastic placental bases
Pollen
prolate, 3-colporate, with many pseudocolpi; surface reticulate
Seeds
compressed, with hygroscopic hairs over whole surface
x = 16 (11, 17) (polyploidy)
Nomenclature:
Hygrophila
R.Br. emend. Heine
Brown: 479 (1810)
Heine: 171 (1962)
Heine: 656 (1971)
Asteracantha
Nees
Nees von Esenbeck: 75 (1832)
Hemigraphis
Nees
Nees van Esenbeck: 722 (1847) in part
Distribution & Notes:
Global
: Species ± 100, tropics generally
Southern Africa
: Species 9, N Namibia and Botswana, Swaziland and eastern provinces of South Africa
References:
BROWN, R. 1810.
Hygrophila
,
Hypoestes
,
Nelsonia
.
Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae
. J. Johnson & Co., London
HEINE, H. 1962. Tropical African plants: xxvi. Some West African
Acanthaceae
.
Kew Bulletin
16
HEINE, H. 1971. Notes sur les Acanthacées africaines.
Adansonia
ser. 2,11,4
NEES VON ESENBECK, C.G.D. 1832.
Acanthaceae
indiae orientalis. In N.Wallich,
Plantae asiaticae rariores
3. Treuttel & Würtz, London
NEES VON ESENBECK, C.G.D. 1847.
Acanthaceae
. In A. de Candolle,
Prodromus
11. Treuttel & Würtz, Paris
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