Genus: 5 Species.
Ceratotheca trilobaName: Ceratotheca from greek keratosis means horned, theke means case or capsule; triloba means three-lobed.
English: Wild foxglove.
Afrikaans: Vingerhoedblom.
Name: Ludvonca; Udonqa; Undoncalwabathwa; Udonqabathwa.Region: southern Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, S. Africa.
Habitat: tropics; grassland, disturbed vegetation, roadsides; sandy, rich, well-drained soil; sunny or light shade; rich, well-drained soils, grasslands, roadsides; full sun or semi-shade; tolerating draught, grow tall and lush with plenty of water
Culture: the promise of an overwhelming display is never fulfilled.
Use: ornamental, giving a cool and lush feeling; leaves and young shoots as vegetable.
BotanyOpportunistic, annual herb, from 1 to 2 metres tall; quite bushy or single-stemmed; slightly sticky; strong unpleasant smell when crushed.
Stem: covered in fine white hairs.
Leaves: soft, green; 5 cm long; divided into 3 lobes; bluntly serrated margin; on long thin stalks up the stems; covered in fine white hairs.
Inflorescence: tall, sparsely flowered spikes.
Flowers: beautiful; pink with dark red stems or white with yellow-green stems; covered in fine white hairs; flowering late summer; 5 cm long; 5 lobes, the bottom lobe longer and streaked with delicate lines running into the throat.
Fruits: 3 cm long; with 2 prominent horns at their tips; green, turning brown and dry, splitting open.
Seeds: small, black, flat, pear shaped.
Pollination: bees.