Species: Plumbago zeylanica
English Name: White Leadwort
Chinese Name: 白花丹
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Description:
Perennial herbs or shrubs, erect, 1–3 m tall, evergreen. Branches spreading, often lianous. Petiole base sometimes auriculate; leaf blade ovate, (3–)5–8(–13) X (1.8–)2.5–4(–7) cm, thin, base cuneate to obtuse, apex acuminate and mucronate. Inflorescences spicate-racemose, (3–)5–70-flowered; peduncle 0.5–1.5 cm, glandular; rachis glandular, (2–)3–8(–15) cm; bracts subovate, 4–6(–8) X (1–)1.5–2(–2.5) mm, apex acuminate; bractlets linear, ca. 2 X 0.5 mm. Calyx 1.0–1.2 cm, to 1.3 cm after anthesis, glandular almost throughout, tube ca. 2 mm in diam. at middle. Corolla white to pale bluish white, tube 1.8–2.2 cm, limb 1.6–1.8 cm in diam.; lobes obovate to oblong-lanceolate, ca. 7 X (2–)4 mm, apex mucronate to acuminate. Anthers blue, ca. 2 mm. Ovary ellipsoid, 5-angular. Style glabrous. Capsules pale yellow-brown, oblong. Seeds red-brown, ca. 7 X 1.5 X 0.6 mm, apex acute. Fl. Oct-Mar, fr. Dec-Apr. 2n = 28.
Photos used under a Creative Commons license
References:
– Wu ZY, Raven PH, Hong DY (eds) (1996). Flora of China, Volume 15: Myrsinaceae through Loganiaceae. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Bot Garden Press, St. Louis