Scoparia dulcis L.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–1600 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bolívar, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guainía, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Putumayo, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vichada.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Escoba de castilla, Escobilla amarga granito de aníz, Kasuusa, Mariquita, Mastuerzo, Teatino, Tiatino

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1600 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

Preocupación Menor

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

amargo, añí, basuriña, berro, chamico, changa dulce, color, cominillo, culantrillo, escoba de Dios, escoba de paraguay, escoba dulce, escobilla, escobilla amarga, escobilla menuda, escobilla menudita, escobillo, escobo, escobo dulce, escubilla, escubilla menuda, escubillanís, escudilla, granito de anís, hierbanís, mastrantillo, mastuerzo, menudita, paico silvestre, paraguay, pichanga dulce, pichanguilla, pichunga dulce, té, teatino, tiatino, tipo, toronjil, verbena de Castilla, verbena de perro, verbenilla, yerba anís, yerba de anís, yerba de sapo, yerbaní

Scrophulariaceae, S.A. Ghazanfar, F.N. Hepper & D. Philcox. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type

Type: West Indies, Herb. Clifford (BM, holo.)

Morphology General Habit

Herb or a branched sub-shrub, 30–60(–90) cm high, woody at base.

Morphology Stem

Stems obtusely angled, glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, often 3 per node, elliptic-lanceolate to linearlanceolate, 1–4 cm long, 0.3–11 cm broad, long-cuneate at base into a short petiole, acute or obtuse at apex, margins coarsely serrate in the upper half, glabrous, densely glandular-punctate beneath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 2–4 in all upper axils of leaf-like bracts; pedicels filiform, 4–6 mm, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2–3 mm long, lobed nearly to the base; lobes ovate, ± 1.5 mm broad, shortly ciliate towards the apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white, 4-lobed, lobes ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, with conspicuous white hairs in throat

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule ovoid, yellowish brown, 2–4 mm, beaked by ± persistent style

Figures

Fig 29, p 99

Ecology

In cultivated and waste ground, gardens and coconut groves especially on sandy soil; 0–1300 m

Conservation

Least Concern (LC); widespread

Distribution

Range: Widespread in tropical Africa Flora districts: U1 K7 T1 T3 T4 T5 T6 T 8ZP

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Scrophulariaceae, D. Philcox. Flora Zambesiaca 8:2. 1990

Morphology General Habit

Woody perennial or subshrub to 60 cm. tall, erect, much-branched, glabrous or minutely hairy especially at nodes; stem and branches angular or ribbed.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 1.2–4.5(5.5) x 0.2–0.9 cm., usually ternately whorled or occasionally opposite, narrowly oblanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, narrowed towards base, apex acute or obtuse, crenate to clearly and sometimes deeply serrate in upper half, almost entire below, glabrous, densely punctate, nerves prominent below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary or more rarely paired in axils of leaf-like bracts, forming branched, many-flowered raceme-like inflorescence; pedicels up to 0.7 cm. long, filiform, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1.5–2.5 mm. long, 4-lobed, lobes ovate to oblong, obtuse, shortly ciliate towards apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 2.5–3.5 mm. long, white to pale mauve.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 2–3.5 mm. long, ripening pale brown.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

A bushy annual herb with a taproot, up to 50 cm tall or more, glabrous throughout; leaves opposite or whorled, linear-oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, mostly 0.5–4 cm long, at least the larger ones serrate in the distal half

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicels filiform, 5–8 mm long; calyx-lobes oblong, 1.5–2 mm long; corolla 3–4 mm across when expanded, with reflexed lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsules ovoid-globose, ca. 3 mm long; seeds brown, 0.3–0.4 mm long.

Distribution

Grand Cayman. Widespread in the tropics and subtropics.

Ecology

Cayman plants were found in sandy thickets and clearings.

Use

None recorded on specimens from our area