Biology:Mackaya bella

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Short description: Species of plant in the genus Mackaya

Mackaya bella
Gardenology.org-IMG 6929 hunt09jun.jpg
Mackaya bella flowers are bilaterally symmetric
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Mackaya
Species:
M. bella
Binomial name
Mackaya bella
Harv.[1]
Synonyms[2]

Asystasia bella (Harv.) Vesque

Mackaya bella, called the forest bell bush, is a species of flowering plant in the acanthus family Acanthaceae, native to South Africa (Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, and Northern Provinces) and Eswatini.[2]

Growing to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall and broad, it is an evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves, and trumpet-shaped pale lilac flowers veined in purple. The plant is not hardy below 10 °C (50 °F), so in temperate zones requires protection during the winter months. However, it may be placed outside in a sheltered spot in summer. It requires an alkaline or neutral soil.[3]

It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3]

References

  1. Thes. Cap. 1: 8 (1859)
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Mackaya bella Harv.". Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:52245-1. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Mackaya bella forest bell bush". The Royal Horticultural Society. https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/10659/Mackaya-bella/Details. Retrieved 10 November 2020. 

Wikidata ☰ Q17680597 entry