Stachys cymbalaria
| Stachys cymbalaria | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Stachys |
| Species: | S. cymbalaria
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stachys cymbalaria | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Stachys cymbalaria, the littleleaf woundwort, is a species of hedgenettle endemic to South Africa.[2]
Description
This species is a low-growing, perennial herb with prostrate stems that spread from a central taproot and reach up to 30 cm (12 in) in length. The stems are nearly hairless or bear a few long, fine spreading hairs, sometimes mixed with short glandular hairs.[3][4][5]
The leaves are almost stalkless or borne on short stalks. They are broadly ovate to nearly round, 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) long, with a rounded to blunt tip, a broadly heart-shaped base, and scalloped margins. Leaf surfaces are nearly smooth to lightly hairy or glandular.[4]
The flowers are arranged in a loose inflorescence of one to five small whorls, each bearing two flowers. The bracts are elliptical and shorter than the calyx. The flowers are purple, pink, or white. The calyx is slightly hairy. The corolla has a short tube, with the upper lip held horizontally and the lower lip curved downward.[4]
Stachys cymbalaria flowers from October to March.[4]
Distribution and habitat
Stachys cymbalaria can be found found among rocks in mountain grassland at 900–2,200 m (3,000–7,200 ft) in elevation from southern KwaZulu-Natal to as far west as Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape.[4][5]
Notes
- ^ "Stachys cymbalaria". Red List of South African Plants. SANBI. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ^ Klopper, R.R.; Winter, P.J.D., eds. (20 March 2025). "The South African National Plant Checklist: 2025 official yearly release". South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ 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. 65. ISBN 0-621-08268-6.
- ^ a b c d e Bredenkamp, C. L. (2019). A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Vol. 2. SANBI. p. 1153. ISBN 978-1-928224-28-0.
- ^ a b Codd, L. E. (11 November 1977). "A note on the Stachys aethiopica Complex". Bothalia. 12 (2). Botanical Research Institute, Dept. of Agricultural Technical Services: 188. doi:10.4102/ABC.V12I2.1392. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
See also
External links
- SANBI Biodiversity Advisor
- African Plant Database
- Media related to Stachys cymbalaria at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Stachys cymbalaria at Wikispecies