Thonningia Vahl

Stannard, B.L. (2006) Balanophoraceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(3)

Description of the genus

Parasitic herb growing from horizontal, irregularly shaped tubers emitting cylindric branched rhizomes. Inflorescences of involucrate heads of flowers from buds on tuber, unbranched, pedunculate to sessile; peduncles densely covered with imbricate scales; receptacle of male inflorescences flat to slightly convex, of female inflorescences conical to hemispherical; perianth segments spirally arranged, unequal in length and extent of attachment to synandrium; perianth cylindric, irregularly 2–4-lobed; ovary inferior, 1-locular. Fruits 1-seeded achenes aggregated into a hemispherical infructescence.

Worldwide: 3 species. 2 in Madagascar and 1 in tropical Africa.

Tanzania: 1 taxon.

No image yet

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFTEA divisionsContent
sanguinea Vahl Description, Image

Other sources of information about Thonningia:

Our websites:

Flora of Angola: Thonningia
Flora of the DRC: Thonningia
Flora of Kenya: Thonningia
Flora of Rwanda: Thonningia
Flora of Uganda: Thonningia
Flora of Zambia: Thonningia

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Thonningia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Thonningia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Thonningia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Thonningia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Thonningia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Thonningia
JSTOR Plant Science: Thonningia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Thonningia
Plants of the World Online: Thonningia
Tropicos: Thonningia
Wikipedia: Thonningia

Copyright: The Tanzania flora team, 2026

The Tanzania flora team (2026). Flora of Tanzania: Genus page: Thonningia.
https://www.tanzaniaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1935, retrieved 17 August 2026

Site software last modified: 24 June 2025 6:53pm (GMT +2)
Terms of use