Monechma divaricatum [Wildelucern]

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Rørslett, B. 2022. Monechma divaricatum ( (Licht. ex Roem. & Schult.) C.B. Clarke. Acanthaceae. Wildelucern. South-African flowers photographed in ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. LINK

 

Wildelucern (Afrikaans) = Wild Lucerne

 

Monechma is close to the large genus Justicia, and its 40+ members have a wide distribution in Africa and India. I have not found a complete map of the distribution of M. divaricatum though. It is a perennial shrub, growing to a height of 1m, and thriving on dry upland plains.  According to http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/details.php?langue=an&id=27784, it occurs all over South Africa and adjacent countries like Namibia, Botswana, and Eswatini.

 

The alternate author combination Monechma divaricatum (Nees) C.B.Clarke is based on Adhatoda divaricata Nees 1847 and is  illegal when applied to Monechma, as there is  an older basionym Justicia divaricata Licht. ex Roem. & Schult. 1817.

 

I photographed this species at Skilpad Nature Reserve , Namaqualand National Park, Northern Cape, where it grew profusely over large areas.
 

It has pretty pink-coloured flowers,  as seen in visible light,

 

The flowers have darker patches towards the centre when photographed in ultraviolet (UV),

 

 

 

All images on this page are copyright Birna Rørslett and may not be used with explicit permission of the author.

 

[Published 13 February, 2022]