Lamiaceae
Clerodendrum

Clerodendrum pusillum Gürke

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 30: 390 (1901)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Verbenaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1992

Morphology General Habit
Dwarf pyrophytic shrub with very short stems from a thick woody creeping rootstock, the whole plant, including flowers, 13–22 cm. tall.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves very congested, lanceolate, oblong, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, 1.5–4.5(–7) cm. long, 0.7–3.5 cm. wide, truncate to subacute at the apex, ± narrowed at the base, entire or subentire, glabrous above, ciliate and slightly pubescent beneath; petiole 2–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence terminal, capitate, few-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx narrowly infundibular-tubular, 9–11 mm. long, including 4 mm. long lanceolate lobes, ciliate and sparsely white-pubescent.
Morphology General Buds
Buds with limb globose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, densely pubescent outside; tube 10–11.5 cm. long; lobes elliptic, 10 mm. long, 6 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens mauve, together with style exserted ± 4 cm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit not seen.
Figures
Fig. 18/5–8, p. 123.
Habitat
Presumably Brachystegia woodland; 1200–1500 m.
Distribution
T4 T7
[FTEA]

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol 8, Pt 7. Avicenniaceae, R. Fernandes. Nesogenaceae, M.A. Diniz. Verbenaceae, R. Fernandes. Lamiaceae, R. Fernandes. 2005.

Type
Type from Tanzania.
Morphology General Habit
Dwarf rhizomatous pyrophytic suffrutex 1 to 25 cm tall, from a woody rootstock; rootstock with spreading, slender branches Dwarf rhizomatous pyrophytic suffrutex 1 to 25 cm tall, from a woody rootstock; rootstock with spreading, slender branches.
Morphology Stem
Stems herbaceous, 1–several, erect, simple or few-branched, leafy, sparsely to densely pilose-pubescent with short white spreading hairs Stems herbaceous, 1–several, erect, simple or few-branched, leafy, sparsely to densely pilose-pubescent with short white spreading hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or sometimes 3-whorled; lamina 1.5–7.5(9) × 0.6–3.5 cm, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong or oblong-obovate, acute to obtuse or rounded at the apex, ± narrowed at the base, entire, thinly-chartaceous to somewhat fleshy, dark green on drying, concolorous, shortly pubescent with hairs more dense on the nervation and margins, sometimes subglabrous; petiole up to 3 mm long Leaves opposite or sometimes 3-whorled; lamina 1.5–7.5(9) × 0.6–3.5 cm, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong or oblong-obovate, acute to obtuse or rounded at the apex, ± narrowed at the base, entire, thinly-chartaceous to somewhat fleshy, dark green on drying, concolorous, shortly pubescent with hairs more dense on the nervation and margins, sometimes subglabrous; petiole up to 3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence capitate, 3–12-flowered, with cymes axillary in the usually crowded uppermost leaves, sometimes with 2 solitary axillary flowers below the capitate inflorescence; cymes 1–2-flowered, subsessile, the flowers sessile; bracteoles 5–7 × 1 mm, linear, hairy Inflorescence capitate, 3–12-flowered, with cymes axillary in the usually crowded uppermost leaves, sometimes with 2 solitary axillary flowers below the capitate inflorescence; cymes 1–2-flowered, subsessile, the flowers sessile; bracteoles 5–7 × 1 mm, linear, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx (6)7–9.5 mm long, narrowly infudibuliform-tubular, with acute triangular lobes (1.5)2.5–3 mm long, sparsely pubescent, ciliate Calyx (6)7–9.5 mm long, narrowly infudibuliform-tubular, with acute triangular lobes (1.5)2.5–3 mm long, sparsely pubescent, ciliate.
Morphology General Buds
Buds with the terminal part (the corolla limb) c. 12 mm in diameter, globose Buds with the terminal part (the corolla limb) c. 12 mm in diameter, globose.
Ecology
In recently burnt plateau and escarpment miombo, wooded grassland and dambo margins, on red sandy soil or hard stony ground; 1000–1300 m.
Distribution
District code: MOZ N, MOZ W, MOZ C, MOZ S, ZIM N, MAL C, Also in Angola, Dem. Rep. Congo and Tanzania. Malawi Zimbabwe Zambia
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla usually white or sometimes pale cream-coloured, densely and softly white villose outside, the hairs rather long; tube (6)8.5–11(11.5) cm long; lobes c. 10 × 4 mm, elliptic; filaments, anthers and style apex purple, blackish-purple, violet or mauve; stamens and style exserted c. 4 cm. Corolla usually white or sometimes pale cream-coloured, densely and softly white villose outside, the hairs rather long; tube (6)8.5–11(11.5) cm long; lobes c. 10 × 4 mm, elliptic; filaments, anthers and style apex purple, blackish-purple, violet or mauve; stamens and style exserted c. 4 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit not seen. Fruit not seen.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0