Stachys afra
| Stachys afra | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Stachys |
| Species: | S. afra
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stachys afra E.Mey.ex Benth.
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Stachys afra is a species of hedgenettle endemic to South Africa.[2][3][4] The species epithet was caffra prior to August 2024, when a nomenclatural change voted for by the International Botanical Congress came into effect, impacting over 200 plant species.[5]
Description
This species is an erect, softly branched shrub growing 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) tall. The stems are slender and covered with fine, star-shaped hairs, becoming smoother with age.[2]
The leaves are borne on short stalks and are thin-textured and lanceolate, 30–90 mm (1.2–3.5 in) long. The upper surface is sparsely hairy, while the underside is paler and densely hairy. Leaves taper to the base, end in a pointed tip, and have very finely toothed margins except near the base.[2]
The flowers are borne at the ends of branches in several spaced whorls, becoming more crowded towards the tip. Each whorl carries 4–10 flowers, with leaf-like bracts that decrease in size upwards.[2]
The calyx is softly hairy. The corolla is white, cream, or greenish yellow, with a short, slightly curved tube and a two-lipped form, the lower lip longer than the upper.[2]
S. sublobata flowers from September to March.[3]
Distribution and habitat
S. afra grows in forest margins and alongside shaded streams in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal′s Midlands and Drakensberg foothills at elevations of 1,300–2,000 m (4,300–6,600 ft), and further south to semi-coastal parts of the Eastern Cape province, as far as Peddie.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Stachys afra". Red List of South African Plants. SANBI. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ^ a b c d e f Codd, L. E. W., Dyer, R. A., Rycroft, H. B., de Winter, B. (1985). Flora of Southern Africa: The Republic of South Africa, Basutoland, Swaziland and South West Africa. Vol. 28. Govt. Printer. p. 70–71. ISBN 0621082686.
- ^ a b Manning, J., Goldblatt, P. (2012). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region. Vol. 1. Pretoria: SANBI. p. 601. ISBN 9781919976747.
- ^ Klopper, R.R. & Winter, P.J.D., ed. (20 March 2025). "The South African National Plant Checklist: 2025 official yearly release". South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Retrieved 7 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - ^ McKie, Robin (2024-07-20). "Botanists vote to remove racist reference from plants' scientific names". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
External links
- SANBI Biodiversity Advisor
- Data related to Stachys afra at Wikispecies