Alvesia rosmarinifolia Welw.

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Alvesia rosmarinifolia

Habit
Margin of miombo woodland and dambo grassland on Kalahari sand
Near Muzuma Village, Mutondo
Mar 2021
Photo: Nick Wightman

Alvesia rosmarinifolia

Leaves
Margin of miombo woodland and dambo grassland on Kalahari sand
Near Muzuma Village, Mutondo
Mar 2021
Photo: Nick Wightman

Alvesia rosmarinifolia

inflorescence
Margin of miombo woodland and dambo grassland on Kalahari sand
Near Muzuma Village, Mutondo
Mar 2021
Photo: Nick Wightman

Alvesia rosmarinifolia

inflorescence
Margin of miombo woodland and dambo grassland on Kalahari sand
Near Muzuma Village, Mutondo
Mar 2021
Photo: Nick Wightman

Alvesia rosmarinifolia

Habit
Degraded miombo woodland
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr.
Mar 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Alvesia rosmarinifolia

Inflorescence
Degraded miombo woodland
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr.
Mar 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Alvesia rosmarinifolia

Flower
Degraded miombo woodland
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr.
Mar 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Alvesia rosmarinifolia

Flower
Degraded miombo woodland
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr.
Mar 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Plectranthastrum rosmarinifolium (Welw.) Mathew
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Shrub or woody herb 1-1.5 m tall; stems erect, woody, rounded-quadrangular, branching above, pubescent or densely so with antrorse hairs, often purplish above with scattered inconspicuous sessile glands; leaves spreading to ascending, sessile to subsessile, blade 20-60 x 5-9 mm, narrowly elliptic to linear, margins entire and prominently revolute, apex acute, base cuneate to attenuate, paler beneath, tomentose, with scattered sessile glands, hairless above; inflorescence purplish, with (6)10-14-flowered verticils 5-10(20) mm apart, bracts subtending sessile (3)5-7-flowered cymes; bracts persistent, 4-5 mm long, elliptic, conspicuously dorsally galled; pedicels ascending 7-15 mm long; calyx pinkish, 2-3 mm long, tomentose; fruiting calyx pendent, 25-30 mm long, inflated; corolla purple, 17-22 mm long, densely pubescent to villose with purplish hairs and scattered sessile glands, tube 10 mm long, bent at right angles at base, with a dorsal spur, posterior lip shorter than anterior, reflexed against tube, anterior lip 7-12 mm long, horizontal, hooded, enclosing stamens; nutlets dark brown with numerous red sessile glands, 5 mm long, broadly ovoid and slightly flattened.
Type location:
Angola
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: rosmarinifolia: with leaves resembling Rosemary, Rosmarinus
Habitat: Open areas in Brachystegia orTerminalia woodland, edges of seasonally flooded area and base of rock outcrops
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, DR Congo, Zambia and Angola.
Provinces:
Growth form(s): Shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22 SANBI, Pretoria Page 106.

Paton, A.J. et al. (2013). Lamiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(8) Pages 310 - 312. (Includes a picture).


Other sources of information about Alvesia rosmarinifolia:

Our websites:

Flora of the DRC: Alvesia rosmarinifolia
Flora of Zambia: Alvesia rosmarinifolia

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Alvesia rosmarinifolia
African Plant Database: Alvesia rosmarinifolia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Alvesia rosmarinifolia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Alvesia rosmarinifolia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Alvesia rosmarinifolia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Alvesia rosmarinifolia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Alvesia rosmarinifolia
JSTOR Plant Science: Alvesia rosmarinifolia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Alvesia rosmarinifolia
Plants of the World Online: Alvesia rosmarinifolia
Tropicos: Alvesia rosmarinifolia
Wikipedia: Alvesia rosmarinifolia


Copyright: The Angola flora team, 2026

The Angola flora team (2026). Flora of Angola: Species information: Alvesia rosmarinifolia.
https://www.angolaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=211000, retrieved 29 September 2026

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