Dolichopentas decora

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is erect and grows 60 cm high. The stems are usually single and somewhat woody. The leaves are in rings or 3-5. The leaf blades are 4-13 cm long by 1-6 cm wide. They are oval. The flowers are in clusters of 3 with 2 at the side and one at the end. The clusters consists of about 30 flowers. The flowers are white and have a sweet scent. The fruit are about 1.5 cm long by 1 cm wide. They have ribs and are hairy. The seeds are brown and oval. They are about 1 mm long.

There are about 50 Pentas species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in upland grassland in West Africa.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Guinea, Guinée, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Pentas decora S. Moore; Pentas homblei De Wild.; Pentas verticillata Scott-Elliot;