Cynoglossum wildii E. S. Martins

wildii: after Professor Hiram Wild (1917-1982), former Head of the National Herbarium (SRGH), taxonomist and avid collector.

Mostly unbranched, erect perennial herb, up to 80 cm high. Leaves basal and along the stem. Basal leaves usually dried up at flowering time. Stem leaves lanceolate, thin and papery with short stiff hairs on both surfaces, up 16 × 4 cm, lower down, gradually smaller towards the top and grading into bracts at the inflorescence. Flowers in small one-sided spikes, together arranged into a more or less lax, branched terminal inflorescence. Corolla, up to 5 mm across, white with a blue throat. Fruits c. 8 mm in diameter, consisting of 4 small nutlets, covered in sticky hairs.

Rare and local

Zimbabwe and possibly also in Mozambique