Cussonia Thunb.

Araliaceae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Style

Styles 2 (3–4 have been rarely reported), connivent for most of their length and often with very short divergent stigmatic surfaces at their apex.

Fruits

Fruit subglobose, urceolate, obovoid or even obconical to wedge-shaped (owing to congestion in densely packed spikes), sometimes fleshy.

Seeds

Seed ovoid or somewhat compressed; endosperm ruminate.

Habit

Trees, shrubs (rarely suffrutices), glabrous to puberulous (more rarely densely pubescent, especially in immature states).

Leaves

Leaves conspicuously petiolate, simple and palmate to digitately compound, often grouped in an “umbrella ” arrangement at the ends of branches. Leaflets very variable in shape and marginal definition; apices often long-acuminate.

Stipules

Stipules often quite conspicuous.

Inflorescences

Inflorescence usually spicate but may be racemose. Floral bracts small or obsolete.

Flowers

Flowers 4–8 mm. in diameter with (4)5 greenish petals.

Calyx

Calyx forming a shallow cup, sometimes with a 4–5-dentate margin.

Stamens

Stamens (4)5.

Disc

Disk flat, depressed or sometimes fused with the styles to form a well-developed conical Stylopodium.

Ovary

Ovary 2-locular (rarely with supernumerary carpels).