Ruellia prostrata Poir.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Pokoteke Gorge, near Masvingo

Photo: Bart Wursten
By road from Sinamatella to Mandavu Dam, Hwange NP

Photo: Bart Wursten
Ruia River, Kariba.

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Synonyms:	Dipteracanthus prostratus (Poir.) Nees Ruellia otaviensis auct. Ruellia patula Jacq. var. prostrata (Poir.) Chiov.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect or decument perennial herb, up to c. 50 cm tall, sometimes scrambling and taller. Stems several, growing from a woody rootstock, variously pubescent or with more or less spreading hairs. Leaves opposite, elliptic, lanceolate to more or less broadly ovate, 4-10 cm long, usually pointed at the apex, almost hairless or pubescent, most densely so along the veins; petiole up to 2.5 cm long. Flowers axillary, solitary or 2-3 together; bracts lanceolate to broadly ovate, 7-23 mm long. Calyx 9-25 mm long, divided almost to the base; lobes filiform, ciliate-hairy. Corolla white, mauve or purple, short-lived; tube 14-28 mm long with cylindric part much shorter than the throat; lobes more or less broadly elliptic, 6-16 mm long and up to 15 mm wide; margin entire to crenate-dentate. Capsule narrowly oblanceolate or clavate, 15-24 mm long, finely velvety.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	prostrate: lying done or prostrate, even though plants are usually more or less weakly erect.
Habitat:	In a wide variety of grassland and woodland habitats.
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Also in Yemen, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, New Guinea and western Pacific Islands; possibly introduced in Southeast Asia.
Botswana distribution:	N
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Monday 5 October 2015
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 138 - 139. (Includes a picture). Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 27. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 15. as Ruellia otaviensis Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 19. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 19. as Ruellia otaviensis Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 35. Vollesen, K. (2009). Acanthaceae (Part 1) Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 204 - 206. (Includes a picture). Vollesen, K. (2013). Acanthaceae (Part 1) Flora Zambesiaca 8(5) Pages 137 - 139. (Includes a picture).

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Flora of Caprivi: Ruellia prostrata
Flora of Malawi: Ruellia prostrata
Flora of Mozambique: Ruellia prostrata
Flora of Zambia: Ruellia prostrata
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ruellia prostrata

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ruellia prostrata
African Plant Database: Ruellia prostrata
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ruellia prostrata
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ruellia prostrata
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Ruellia prostrata
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iNaturalist: Ruellia prostrata
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ruellia prostrata
JSTOR Plant Science: Ruellia prostrata
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ruellia prostrata
Plants of the World Online: Ruellia prostrata
Tropicos: Ruellia prostrata
Wikipedia: Ruellia prostrata