Subfamily

VII. Subfam. Nepetoideae (Dumort.) Luerss. (1882).

VII. 3. Tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (1829).

VII. 3. D. Subtribe Ociminae (Dumort.) Schmidt in Martius (1858).

Subtribe Moschominae Endlicher (1838).

Description

Shrubs, aromatic; leaves simple, opposite or sometimes ternate; inflorescence sometimes ternately or quadrately branched, thyrsoid with cymes sessile, 1-flowered; bracts persistent, not coloured, often inconspicuous; calyx ą regular, tubular, straight, becoming orange, globular and fleshy in fruit, 5-lobed, ą actinomorphic, lobes linear to deltoid, posterior sometimes slightly broader, not decurrent, throat closed in fruit, glabrous; corolla strongly 2-lipped, 5-lobed (4/1), white or pink, posterior lip ascending, 4-lobed with median lobes exceeding lateral lobes, anterior lip horizontal, slightly concave, corolla-tube straight, parallel-sided, dilating towards throat; stamens 4, posterior pair sterile, held within tube, attached above midpoint of tube, pubescent, inappendiculate, anterior pair held over anterior lip or just exceeding it, attached at corolla throat, glabrous; style capitate-clavate; stigma-lobes equal, rounded, connivent; disc 4-lobed with anterior lobe larger; nutlets ą ovoid, glabrous, mucilaginous. 2n = 24. Monotypic, H. opposita Vahl. found in tropical Africa, open areas in grassland, woodland or forest, often on sandy or rocky soil. S ometimes used medicinally.

Distribution

Native to:

22 West Tropical Africa
23 West-Central Tropical Africa
24 Northeast Tropical Africa
25 East Tropical Africa
26 South Tropical Africa
27 Southern Africa

Synonyms

Haaslundia Schumach. & Thonn. in C.F.Schumacher, Beskr. Guin. Pl.: 15 (1827).

Micranthes Bertol., Mem. Reale Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna 9: 172 (1858).

Publication

Hoslundia Vahl, Enum. Pl. 1: 212 (1804).

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Image resource

Š Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew