Dicliptera Juss.

Flora Zambesiaca Acanthaceae (part 2) by Iain Darbyshire, Kaj Vollesen and Ensermu Kelbessa

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, sometimes suffruticose and pyrophytic; cystoliths linear, numerous.

Morphology Stem

Stems 6-angular, often ridged.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves evergreen or deciduous, petiolate or subsessile, pairs equal or unequal; blade margins entire or uneven.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and/or terminal, comprising a series of monochasial cymules, usually umbellately arranged, more rarely solitary, umbels solitary to several in each axil, sometimes compounded and paniculate or contracted into dense terminal heads, rarely arranged in a spike; main axis bracts paired, pairs equal to somewhat unequal, free, often much-reduced, rarely foliaceous; cymule bracts paired, pairs subequal to highly unequal, free but ± adpressed, usually conspicuous, sometimes with pale 'windows' of sclerids between principal veins in basal portion (Fig. 8.6.69,3); bracteoles narrower than cymule bracts and often much-reduced.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx shortly tubular, 5-lobed, lobes subequal or one lobe longer, linear-lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla bilabiate, tube usually white, limb variously white to pink or purple, lip held in upper position usually with darker guidelines on a paler palate; corolla resupinate, tube twisted through 180°, cylindrical, somewhat widened towards mouth, rarely strongly so; lip held in upper position ± recurved distally, apex shortly 3-lobed; lip held in lower position unlobed, apex obtuse or shallowly emarginate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 2; filaments arising from mouth of corolla tube, rarely from within tube; anthers exserted, bithecous, thecae elliptic, offset, superposed or slightly overlapping.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary (oblong-)ovoid, bilocular, 2 ovules per locule; style filiform; stigma bifid, exserted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule short- to long-stipitate, placental base elastic, placental base and membranous capsule walls then tearing from thickened flanks at dehiscence, or inelastic.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4 per capsule, rarely 2 by abortion, held on retinacula, lenticular, discoid or compressed-ellipsoid, with a hilar excavation, smooth or tuberculate.

Distribution

A genus of c.175 species with a pantropical and subtropical distribution.