Centella difformis (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Adamson

Species

Angiosperms > Apiales > Apiaceae > Centella

Characteristics

Erect andromonoecious or androdioecious perennial, up to 0.3 m tall, 0.5 m wide, with ascending flowering branches spreading from a central tuft of basal leaves. Leaves dimorphic, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, the base attenuate, main veins abaxially raised and adaxially sunken, surface on both sides puberulent to glabrescent, grey-green to red-green, concolorous, the margin dentate in upper third and entire lower down; basal leaves with petiole (10-)40-60(-160) mm long, pubescent to glabrous along entire length, lamina (15-)0-40(-50) mm long, (10-)15-20(-30) mm wide; margin occasionally entire or with two to five acuminate teeth in upper third; apex acuminate; upper leaves (on flowering shoots) petiolate or more often sessile, petiole 5-10(-40) mm long, pubescent to glabrous along entire length, lamina (10-)15-20(-45) mm long, (2-)4-10(-17) mm wide; margin entire or occasionally with two to three acuminate teeth in upper third; apex acuminate. Inflorescence with a central single sessile bisexual umbellule mostly surrounded by many lateral, rayed male umbellules (or sometimes with many rayed male umbellules only); rarely with many rayed bisexual umbellules without a central bisexual umbellule. Male umbellules 3-5 mm long, with a single male flower each. Bisexual umbellules with a single flower each; borne in axils of flowering shoots; bracts of male umbellules two or rarely three, up to 1.5 mm long, not foliaceous, glabrous; bracts of central bisexual umbellule paired, 1-2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, lanceolate, glabrous. Flowers with cream coloured petals; petals abaxially pubescent. Fruit widely elliptic, 4-5 mm long, 3-4 mm wide in commissural view, bulging of commissure not prominent; ribs prominent, the surface between ribs smooth, glabrous; stylopodium not prominent.
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Erect perennial, 10-40 cm. Leaves dimorphic, lanceolate, sparsely hairy to glabrous; basal leaves petiolate, entire or with 2-5 acuminate teeth in upper third, upper leaves smaller, often indistinctly petiolate, mostly entire. Flowers whitish, often in many-flowered umbels. Fruit relatively large, widely elliptic, distinctly ribbed, smooth, commissure ± slightly bulging.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
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Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
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Productivity -

Distribution

Centella difformis world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:840038-1
WFO ID wfo-0000594120
COL ID S7ZV
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Centella difformis Hydrocotyle difformis