Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Harry Pichanick Drive, Alexandra Park, Harare

Synonyms:	Odontonema strictum sensu Maroyi Thyrsacanthus cuspidatus Nees
Common names:	Cardinal guard (English) Mexican firespike (English)
Description:	Shrub occasionally attaining 2.5 m but usually less. Leaves ovate-elliptic, up to 27 cm long, apex acuminate-cuspidate. Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle, 13-17 cm long, bearing flowers in fascicles. Corolla with a long narrow tube, 2.5-3.5 cm long, red. Upper lip shallowly 2-lobed; lower lip 3-lobed, pointing forward or at right angles to the tube.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	cuspidatum: with the tip abruptly narrowed to a sharp rigid point, probably referring to the leaf apex
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Native to Central America
Growth form(s):
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Baum, V.M. (1982). A Revision of the genus Odontonema (Acanthaceae) MSc Thesis Pages 42 - 46. (Includes a picture). Champluvier, D. (1985). Acanthaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume III Page 480. as O. strictum (nees) Kuntze (Includes a picture). Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2015). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 8(6) Pages 4 - 5.

Flora of Malawi: cultivated Odontonema cuspidatum
Flora of Rwanda: cultivated Odontonema cuspidatum
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Odontonema cuspidatum
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Odontonema cuspidatum

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