Description: Annual or perennial herbs, hemiparasitic; stems erect, glabrous to scabrous, lacking sessile glands.
Leaves opposite or sometimes upper ones alternate, basal leaves often in a rosette, simple, margins entire or sparsely toothed; sessile or petiolate.
Inflorescences terminal, spike-like raceme; flowers single in axil of bracts; bracteoles 2. Calyx tubular, 10-veined, 5-toothed. Corolla trumpet-shaped; tube straight or slightly curved, blocked by hairs at throat; lobes subequal, entire to emarginate, throat pilose. Stamens 4, ± didynamous, all fertile; anthers 1-locular. Style club-shaped at apex.
Capsule ovoid, loculicidal; seeds numerous.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 100 species, tropical & subtropical regions, chiefly Asia & Africa. Australia: 7 species (native), all mainland States except Vic. & S.A.
B. urticifolia R. Br. has been recorded for N.S.W. but no specimens occur for this State. This species extends from SE Qld to N.T. and W.A. and differs from the one described below by its scabrous indumentum of spreading to retrorse hairs on the surface of the calyx and vegetative parts.
Text by W. R. Barker
Taxon concept:
| One species in NSW: Buchnera gracilis |
|
