Bridelia Willd.

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit

Monoecious or rarely dioecious shrubs or trees with a simple indumentum

Morphology Branches

Branches sometimes armed with blunt woody thorns

Morphology Twigs

Twigs lenticellate

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate, stipulate, simple, usually entire, penninerved, the nerves straight, arched or looped, the tertiary nerves usually parallel

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, axillary, solitary, glomerulate or fasciculate, or in spikes or panicles of glomerulate fascicles Female flowers in few-flowered clusters or solitary, sometimes pedicellate; sepals and petals perigynous, otherwise ± as in the male; outer disc annular, inner disc lobed or cupular and embracing the ovary; ovary 2(–3)-locular, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 2(–3), free or connate at the base, bifid or subentire Male flowers in many-flowered glomeruli, sometimes with 1–2 ♀ flowers admixed, sessile or subsessile; sepals 5, valvate; petals 5, small, inflexed over the disc or quincuncially imbricate; disc annular or cupuliform, entire or sinuate; stamens 5, filaments united below into a short column, free and spreading above, anthers horizontal, basifixed, the thecae parallel, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode at the top of the staminal column, ampulliform, entire or 2–4-lobate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts small, scaly

sex Male

Male flowers in many-flowered glomeruli, sometimes with 1–2 ♀ flowers admixed, sessile or subsessile; sepals 5, valvate; petals 5, small, inflexed over the disc or quincuncially imbricate; disc annular or cupuliform, entire or sinuate; stamens 5, filaments united below into a short column, free and spreading above, anthers horizontal, basifixed, the thecae parallel, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode at the top of the staminal column, ampulliform, entire or 2–4-lobate

sex Female

Female flowers in few-flowered clusters or solitary, sometimes pedicellate; sepals and petals perigynous, otherwise ± as in the male; outer disc annular, inner disc lobed or cupular and embracing the ovary; ovary 2(–3)-locular, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 2(–3), free or connate at the base, bifid or subentire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a small, smooth, ovoid or globose berry or drupe, indehiscent, or else dehiscent; exocarp fleshy or pulpy; endocarp crustaceous, forming 2 (or by abortion 1) pyrenes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds often by abortion solitary in each pyrene, plano-convex and adaxially longitudinally grooved (2 pyrenes) or else U-shaped in transverse section and adaxially deeply excavate (1 pyrene); albumen copious, fleshy; embryo slightly or strongly curved; cotyledons broad, foliaceous, thin.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs or trees; branches sometimes with blunt thorns; indumentum simple

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate, usually entire, pinnately veined, tertiary veins often subparallel

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Usually monoecious, flowers very small, axillary, usually in dense clusters, sometimes forming apparent terminal panicles

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers 1–few together; perianth as in male, often ± persistent and slightly accrescent in fruit; disc double, outer annular, inner lobed or cupular, surrounding ovary; ovary 2(–3)-celled, ovules 2 per cell, styles bifid or subentire Male flowers numerous, sometimes coaxillary with 1–2 female flowers, sessile or subsessile, 5-merous; sepals valvate; petals small, bent over disc or imbricate; disc annular or cupular; stamens 5, filaments joined into short column with pistillode at tip

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a small ovoid or globose drupe, sometimes dehiscent, endocarp forming 2 or (by abortion) 1 pyrene, seeds often solitary.

Distribution

About 50 species in the Old World tropics, c. 20 species in Africa, mostly in moister regions.

Note

Plants in this genus look like species of Rhamnaceae.