Cape leadwort

Plumbago capensis Thunberg

Plants evergreen shrubs. Stems erect, trailing, or climbing, diffusely branched, to 3+ m, glabrous or pubescent on youngest shoots. Leaves usually sessile, sometimes short-petiolate; blade elliptic, oblanceolate, or spatulate, (1-)2.5-9 × 0.5-2.5 cm, base usually long-attenuate, sometimes auriculate, apex acute or obtuse, mucronate. Inflorescences 2.5-3(-5) cm, rachises short-pilose (hairs ca. 0.1 mm), eglandular; floral bracts lanceolate, 3-9 × 1-2 mm. Flowers 3-stylous; calyx 10-13 mm, tube usually short-pilose and with stalked, capitate, glandlike protuberances ca. 1 mm along distal 1/ 3/ 4 of ribs; corolla pale blue, 37-53 mm, tube 28-40 mm (more than 2 times length of calyx), lobes 10-16 × 6-15 mm; stamens included or exserted. Capsules 8 mm. Seeds brown, 7 mm. 2n = 14 + 0-1B.

Flowering year-round. Hummocks, thickets, dis-turbed sites in dry soil; 0-50 m; introduced; Fla.; s Africa.

Plumbago auriculata is frequently cultivated in Mediterranean-type warmer climates, especially in California, Arizona, and Texas.