Ballota africana Benth.

Species

Angiosperms > Lamiales > Lamiaceae > Ballota

Characteristics

Soft, erect or spreading, greyish shrublet, 0.3-1.2 m tall. Leaves petiolate; blade orbicular to ovate, 15-50 x 15-45 mm, densely pubescent, soft to rugose, apex rounded to subacute, base cordate to rounded, margin irregularly crenate-dentate; petiole villous, 10-40 mm long. Inflorescence simple or branched, of few to many verticils, spaced below, more crowded above; verticils usually many-flowered, subglobose, about 20 mm in diam. Calyx densely hispid-villous, glandular; tube 6-8 mm long at flowering, enlarging slightly when mature; limb spreading, 9-11 mm in diam., 10-20-toothed; teeth ovate-deltoid, subulate or spine-tipped, 0.5-1.5 mm long, the additional intermediate teeth often smaller. Corolla purple or pinkish to pale mauve, 10-14 mm long; tube 7-9 mm long, exannulate; upper lip 3-5 mm long; lower lip 4-7 mm long.
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Perennial herb or small shrub, 0.3-1.2 m high, soft, erect or spreading. Leaves petiolate, orbicular to ovate, densely pubescent, soft to rugose, base cordate to rounded, apex rounded to subacute, margins irregularly crenate-dentate; petioles villous. Inflorescence simple or branched; few to many verticils, spaced below, crowded above; verticillasters many-flowered, subglobose. Flowers purple or pinkish to pale mauve. Calyx densely hispid-villous, glandular; limb spreading, 10-20-toothed; teeth ovate-deltoid, subulate or spine-tipped. Corolla bilabiate; upper lip erect, flat, bilobed; lower lip 3-lobed, emarginate. Flowering time Sept.-May. Fruit ovoid-oblong nutlets.
Shrub, 0.3-1.2 m high; greyish. Stems erect or spreading. Leaves petiolate; blade orbicular to ovate, 15-50 x 15-45 mm, apex rounded to subacute, base cordate to rounded, margins irregularly crenate-dentate; petioles villous, 10-40 mm long. Flowers: verticils many-flowered; calyx glandular, densely hispid-villous, 10-or more toothed, limb eventually spreading, tube 6-8 mm long at flowering; corolla purple or pinkish to pale mauve; Jul.-Sep.
Aromatic, soft, greyish shrublet, up to 1.2 m tall. Leaves cordate, softly hairy, toothed. Flowers in ± globose, well-spaced, axillary verticils, many in each, pink to purple, calyx 10-20-toothed, slightly enlarged in fruit.
A shrub. It grows 30-120 cm tall. The stems are erect and spreading. The leaves are round and 1.5-5 cm long by 1.5-4.5 cm wide. The flowers are in rings. They are pink to purple.
Aromatic, soft, greyish shrublet to 1.2 m. Leaves softly hairy, cordate, toothed. Flowers in axillary verticils, pink to purple.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 1.2
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Along streams, in the shelter of rocks and bushes, and as a pioneer in disturbed places.
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It is a subtropical plant.
Light -
Soil humidity 7-12
Soil texture 7-8
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

The leaves are eaten as a snack and vegetable. They are also used for tea and flavouring.
Uses medicinal tea
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings, divisions or seedlings.
Mode cuttings divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Ballota africana world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:444921-1
WFO ID wfo-0000314661
COL ID KHLX
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Marrubium laurifolium Ballota africana Marrubium thouinii Pseudodictamnus emarginatus Beringeria africana Beringeria crispa Marrubium africanum Marrubium crispum Stachys africana