Annual or perennial herbs or suffrutices. Inflorescence axillary, consisting of umbel-like monochasical cymes. Primary bracts leaf-like. Calyx 5-lobed; lobes subequal or one lobe longer. Corolla 2-lipped, enclosed within 2 opposite bracts, resupinate, with clearly twisted tube; lip in upper position 3-toothed with indistinct rugula; lip in lower position entire or emarginate. Stamens 2; anthers 2-thecous, apiculate, exserted; staminodes 0. Ovary 2-locular. Comment: Iain Darbyshire, in Flora Zambesiaca, 8(6), (2015) p. 250, comments that "species delimitation in tropical Africa is very challenging with a number of widespread species complexes. Identification of Dicliptera is most easily achieved by comparison to named material. Strong spot characters for separation of species are few, it usually being the combination of a suite of characters that enables species delimitation". Worldwide: c. 175 species in tropical and warm areas Malawi: 13 taxa. |
|