Subfamily

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

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

VII. 3. E. Subtribe Plectranthinae Endlicher (1838).

Description

Fleshy, dioecious, rarely hermaphrodite, aromatic shrubs; leaves simple; inflorescence thyrsoid, paniculately branched with cymes sessile, 2-5-flowered; bracts persistent, inconspicuous, not coloured; calyx shortly tubular, straight, strongly 2-lipped, 5-lobed (1/4), lobes unequal, posterior ovate, not decurrent; anterior lanceolate with a sinus between the median pair giving the appearance of two emarginate lateral lobes, throat open, glabrous; corolla 2-lipped, 5-lobed (4/1), white or pink, posterior lip with the median lobes ascending, shallow, lateral lobes spreading, held between the median lobes and anterior lip, anterior lip horizontal or deflexed, concave, corolla-tube straight or sometimes curved, funnel shaped or sometimes tubular and dilating distally, often bearded within at base; stamens (male flowers) 4, porrect, exserted, posterior attached near throat or at midpoint of corolla-tube, anterior attached at throat; stigma-lobes short, equal, connivent, often non-functional; female flowers lacking stamens; style with 2 stigma-lobes; disc equally 4-lobed or with anterior lobe larger; nutlets oblong, glabrous, not mucilaginous. 2n = 42. Fifteen to 20 species in Madagascar and S and Tropical Africa.

Distribution

Native to:

23 West-Central Tropical Africa
24 Northeast Tropical Africa
25 East Tropical Africa
26 South Tropical Africa
27 Southern Africa
29 Western Indian Ocean

Synonyms

Iboza N.E.Br. in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(1): 298 (1910).

Publication

Tetradenia Benth. in Bot. Reg. sub t. 1300 (1830); Codd, Bothalia 14: 177-183 (1983), reg. rev.; Phillipson, Flore de Madagascar et des Comores 175: 70-94 (1998), reg. rev..

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Species found in RBG Kew living collections