Home | > | List of families | > | Oxalidaceae | > | Biophytum | > | sensitivum |
Synonyms: |
Biophytum helenae Buscal. & Muschl. Oxalis sensitiva L. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Annual terrestrial herb, 10-40 cm growing on a simple slender to stout stem with a single rosette of leaves at the apex; leaves 3-13 cm long composed of up to 21 pairs of leaflets, 3-8 x 2.5-5 mm, subsessile, slightly obliquely square to oblong, appressed pilose or pubescent, rhachis pilose; flowers white, pink, lilac or yellow in 3-10-flowered pseudoumbels, peduncle up to 13 cm long, pubescent, pedicels up to 6 mm long, pubescent; sepals 4-5 x 1-1.5 mm, narrowly lanceolate, 3-5 nerved, pubescent; petals 7-8 mm long, spathulate, glabrous; stamens with 5 longer ones 3 mm long and 5 shorter ones 1.5 mm long; ovary deeply 5-lobed; styles 1-3 mm long, pubescent; capsule 3 x 2 mm, obovate-ellipsoid; seeds 0.5 x 0.3 mm, flattened-ellipsoid, minutely tuberculate, brown. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | sensitivum: sensitive, likely referring to the leaflets sensitivity to touching. |
Habitat: | |
Altitude range: | |
Flowering time: | Sep - Jun |
Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in the tropics of the Old World |
Mozambique distribution: | N,Z |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Exell, A.W. (1963). Oxalidaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(1) Pages 157 - 158. (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 142. |
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