Description:
Annual or perennial herbs; stems arising from a tap root, a slender rhizome or a small woody rootstock. Leaves: upper ones and bracts basally pale or coloured. Inflorescence lax or condensed; verticils composed of opposite cymes; cymes usually more than 3-flowered. Calyx round in cross section; posterior lip 1- or 3-lobed with posterior lip decurrent or not, anterior lip 1-5-lobed. Corolla 2-lipped, curved, dorsally gibbous or spurred; posterior lip 3- or 4-lobed, ascending, anterior lobe horizontal. Stamens 4, declinate or spreading; posterior ones arising at midpoint of corolla; anterior ones arising near corolla throat; filaments basally swollen and often pubescent; anthers synthecate. Style bifid. Nutlets minutely striate or reticulate, apically pubescent or not.
Distribution:
Species 45, Old World tropics, 11 in trop. Africa, of which 6 are found in sthn trop. Afr. in Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, ?Mozambique, and in sthn Afr.
Source:
SSTA
Synonym(s):
Geniosporum Wall. ex Benth. in part; Baker: 350 (1900); Morton: 238 (1962); Codd: 215 (1985). Limniboza R.E.Fr.: 277 (1916); Lisowski: 462 (1987).
Classification:
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