Stachys thunbergii
| Stachys thunbergii | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Stachys |
| Species: | S. thunbergii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Stachys thunbergii | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Stachys thunbergii, commonly called the smooth or porphyrous woundwort, is a distinctive species of hedgenettle endemic to South Africa.[2][3]
Description
It is a perennial herb with stout, four-angled stems that are erect or ascending and can grow up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long. The stems are sparsely branched, slightly woody, and armed with strong backward-pointing prickles along the angles and at the nodes; they are otherwise smooth.[2]
The leaves are borne on short stalks and have thick, somewhat wrinkled blades that dry dark brown. They are ovate to lanceolate, 30–60 mm (1.2–2.4 in) long, with a heart-shaped base, an acute tip, and finely scalloped margins. Leaf surfaces are sparsely hairy to nearly hairless.[2]
The flowers are arranged in loose to fairly dense spikes 60–150 mm (2.4–5.9 in) long, with 4–6 flowers per whorl. The calyx is slightly hairy and spine-tipped. The corolla is red, magenta, or purple, with a gently curved tube and two lips, the lower lip slightly longer than the upper.[2]
S. thunbergii flowers from September to March.
Distribution and habitat
The larger population of S. thunbergii is in the Eastern Cape province, where it grows in forest margins and closed woodland at altitudes of 120–950 m (390–3,120 ft) from George to Humansdorp. In the Western Cape province, it is most often encountered on the south-eastern slopes of Devil′s Peak and adjoining mountains in the Table Mountain National Park. There are also some scattered records of the species between these two centres.[2][4]
Etymology
S. thunbergii is named for Carl Peter Thunberg, a Dutch botanist of the late 18th century who first described it as Galeopsis hispida.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Stachys thunbergii". 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. 55. ISBN 0-621-08268-6.
- ^ 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) - ^ Bredenkamp, C. L. (2019). A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province. Vol. 2. SANBI. p. 1152. ISBN 978-1-928224-28-0.
External links
- SANBI Biodiversity Advisor
- Media related to Stachys thunbergii at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Stachys thunbergii at Wikispecies