Stachys graciliflora
| Stachys graciliflora | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Stachys |
| Species: | S. graciliflora
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stachys graciliflora | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Stachys graciliflora is a species of hedgenettle found in South Africa and Eswatini.[2]
Description
This species is a perennial herb with spreading to trailing stems that may climb slightly and can grow to 40 cm (16 in)} or more in length. The stems are sparsely branched and lightly covered with short backward-pointing hairs.[3][4]
The leaves are borne on stalks and are often thin in texture. They are ovate to broadly ovate, 20–65 mm (0.79–2.56 in) long, with a blunt to slightly pointed tip and a deeply heart-shaped base with a wide notch. The margins are coarsely scalloped. Leaf surfaces are mostly hairless or sparsely hairy, with soft hairs on the upper surface.[3]
The flowers are arranged in one to four whorls, forming a loose spike below or a short cluster towards the top. Each whorl bears four to six flowers. The bracts are leaf-like at the base and become smaller higher up. The calyx is softly hairy. The corolla is white, sometimes with mauve spots on the lower lip, and has a gently curved tube with an upright upper lip and a horizontal lower lip.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Sources differ on the geographical range of Stachys graciliflora. The South African National Biodiversity Institute′s South African National Plant Checklist and Red List of South African Plants list the South African provinces of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo, as well as Eswatini. So too does Kew′s Plants of the World Online.[2][1][5]
The standard reference works, which are admittedly older, meanwhile describe a smaller distribution, from Knysna in the Cape to southern KwaZulu-Natal.[3][6][7] All agree that the plant is typically found in damp places in forest margins, grassland, fynbos, and coastal scrub.[3][4]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b "Stachys graciliflora". Red List of South African Plants. SANBI. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c d e 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. pp. 63–64. ISBN 0621082686.
- ^ a b Bredenkamp, C. L. (2019). A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Vol. 2. SANBI. pp. 1152–1153. ISBN 9781928224280.
- ^ "Stachys graciliflora C.Presl". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ^ Manning, J., Goldblatt, P. (2012). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region. Vol. 1. Pretoria: SANBI. p. 604. ISBN 9781919976747.
- ^ Codd, L. E. (11 November 1977). "A note on the Stachys aethiopica Complex". Bothalia. 12 (2). Botanical Research Institute, Dept. of Agricultural Technical Services: 187–188. doi:10.4102/ABC.V12I2.1392. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
External links
- SANBI Biodiversity Advisor
- African Plant Database
- Data related to Stachys graciliflora at Wikispecies