Gentianaceae
Swertia

Swertia welwitschii Engl.

First published in Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1891: 339 (1892)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to S. Africa. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Gentianaceae, J. Paiva and I. Nogueira. Flora Zambesiaca 7:4. 1990

Morphology General Habit
Annual, erect herb up to (12) 25–80 cm. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stem slender, 1–3 mm. in diam., unbranched or branching at the apex, rarely from the base.
Morphology Leaves
Basal leaves usually soon disappearing; cauline leaves erect or suberect; leaf lamina 15–45 x 1.5–7 mm., linear-lanceolate, subobtuse or subacute at the apex; basal and sub-basal shorter and broader than the cauline ones, usually narrowed at the base into a short petiole-like claw, all 3-nerved from the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 5-merous, pure white, cream or white or with dark purple veins, terminal in the axil of the upper leaves or in 1 -many flowered cymes, arranged in a subcorymbose inflorescence; bracts 1–10 mm. long, linear; pedicels 1.5–4 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx divided almost to the base; lobes slightly unequal, 2–7 x 1.5 mm., linear-lanceolate or linear-oblong, acute or subacute at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla divided almost to the base; tube 0.75 mm. long; lobes 6–10 x 2.5–4 mm., oblong-obovate to elliptic, rounded at the apex, each lobe with a pair of fimbriate nectaries within, near the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens inserted in the sinuses; filaments 3.5–5 mm. long; anthers 0.5–1.5 x 0.25–0.5 mm., narrowly-ellipsoid, brown.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 4–6 x 2.5 mm., narrowly-ellipsoid, slightly compressed, narrowed into a short stout style; stigma bilobed, papillate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule (5) 6–10 x 1.5–3 mm., narrowly-ellipsoid, slightly exserted, splitting into two valves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds subglobose, numerous, 0.3 mm. in diam.; testa faveolate.
[FZ]

Gentianaceae, Sileshi Nemomissa. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb without basal leaf rosette.
Morphology Stem
Stems 30–70 cm high, unbranched except for inflorescence, stem angles smooth.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ascending or erect, sessile, linear-lanceolate, linear-oblong or linear, blade 15–43 mm long, 5–8 mm wide, acute, amplexicaul.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences much branched cymes, partial inflorescences many, each 5–6-flowered; pedicels 3–10 mm long, pedicel of the terminal flower always shorter than pedicels of lateral flowers; bracteoles linear-lanceolate or linear, 10–16 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 5-merous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx lobes:2 wider than others, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, 1.8–4.5 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white or creamy white; tube very short, 0.8–0.9 mm long; lobes elliptic or elliptic-obovate, 4–11 mm long, 2–5.5 mm wide, acute or with recurved apices; nectaries 2 per lobe, yellow, circular or eliptic(-oblong), 0.3–1.1 mm in diameter, 0.7–0.8 mm apart, 2.4–3 mm from base of lobes, margin fimbriate, fimbriae 1.1–2.8 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens with filaments 3.3–4.8 mm long, scale-like projections present at their point of attachment to corolla lobes; anthers oblong, 0.9–1.3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary oblong, 4–5.5 mm long, 1–2 mm diameter; style obsolete; stigma bilobed, lobes 0.7–0.8 long, 1–1.1 mm wide, obtuse, forming a crescent-shaped rim at the apex of capsule valves; parietal placentae indistinct.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule oblong, 9–14 mm long, 3–5 mm diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, 0.4–0.5 mm in diameter, surface reticulate.
Habitat
Wet grassland, swamps and boggy ground; 950–2400 m
Distribution
K3 K5 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U4
[FTEA]

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