Dicliptera heterostegia Nees

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Photo: David Gwynne-Evans
Northeastern slopes Mt Mabu

Photo: Warren McCleland
Rio Muacamula, Macomia District, Cabo Delgado.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Musicadze river at Muzimu camp. Gorongosa National Park

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Synonyms:	Dicliptera insignis Mildbr. Dicliptera mossambicensis Klotzsch Justicia heterostegia E. Mey.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect or scrambling perennial herb with 6-angular stems up to 2 m long, more or less densely hairy. Leaves ovate or elliptic, 3.5-16 cm long, sometimes absent at flowering time, sparsely hairy or pubescent, mainly on the veins; petiole 1-6.5 cm long. Inflorescences in 2-5 clusters together in the leaf axils; bracts broadly ovate or elliptic with pairs more or less unequal, surfaces and particularly the margins, whitish hairy, sometimes densely so. Corolla 10-20 mm long, pink, purple or rarely white, pubescent outside.
Notes:	Some forms of D. heterostegia, such as this one from Mt Mabu, look very distinct from the drier country forms of this species but wholly intermediate specimens are found as well. For now they remain all included in D. heterostegia sensu lato (Iain Darbyshire, pers. comm. Oct 2014).
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	Riverine forest and thickets, mid-altitude forest, dry coastal forest and woodland and on rocky hill slopes, usually in shaded habitats.
Altitude range:	20 - 1350 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Madagascar.
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,MS,GI,M
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:	Sunday 11 July 2021
Literature:	Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 18. Darbyshire, I., Vollesen, K. & Kelbessa, E. (2015). Acanthaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 8(6) Pages 256 - 258. (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 13. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 33. Timberlake, J.R., Bayliss, J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Congdon, C., Branch, B., Collins, S., Curran, M., Dowsett, R,J., Fishpool, L., Francisco, J., Harris, Kopp, M. & de Sousa, C. (2012). Mt Mabu, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/036. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London Page 72.

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Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Dicliptera heterostegia
Flora of Malawi: Dicliptera heterostegia
Flora of Zambia: Dicliptera heterostegia
Flora of Zimbabwe: Dicliptera heterostegia

External websites:

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