Family: Plantaginaceae |
Medhanie, G. (2006) Kickxia in Flora of Somalia 3: 273 Plants herbs or small shrubs, usually glandular pubescent or pilose. Leaves often varied, lower leaves being distinctly different from those above. upper leaves usually alternate, subsessile to petiolate; blades usually palmately veined, bases hastate or sagittate, margins entire, dentate or lobed, tips acuminate. Inflorescences bracteate racemes or of axillary, solitary flowers. Flowers bisexual; calyces deeply divided, lobes entire, equal; corollas united, tubes spurred; corolla limbs 2-lipped, upper lips 2-lobed or emarginate shorter than the lower lips, lower lips 3-lobed, usually broad and spreading with low, pubescent to lanate palates partially closing the mouth of the tubes stamens 4, 2 long and 2 short, included, a minute staminode also present in each flower; anthers ciliate, marginally coherent, forming a ringlike structure; ovaries superior, 2 celled, with many ovules; styles simple, erect; stigmas capitate. Fruits with 2 cells, cells usually equal, dehiscence operculate and simultaneous, sometimes unequal, the smaller cell with fewer seeds and dehiscing after the larger, rarely indehiscent; seeds reticulate-alveolate or tuberculate, usually papillate; tubercles broad, conical or rounded, closely spaced, sometimes laterally compressed and ridgelike. Kickxia includes 9 species. Its primary distribution is north-temperate, growing in Europe, NOrth Africa, and western Asia, but it has been widely introduced elsewhere. The only record of this species from Somaliland and Somalia was found to be Nanorhinum ramosissimum. It was decided to include the genus in the Flora of Somalia because the volume in the process of being published and it seems likely that the species, Kickxia elatine, will be found in either Somaliland or Somalia because it is a widespread, weedy species. |