Bridelia ferruginea Benth.

Euphorbiaceae, A. Radcliffe-Smith. Flora Zambesiaca 9:4. 1996

Habit

A shrub or small tree up to c. 6 m high with spiny branches.

Bark

Bark cracked, grey.

Twigs

Twigs dark brown.

Shoots

Young shoots and petioles denseley ferrugineous-tomentose.

Petiole

Petioles 5–7 mm long.

Stipules

Stipules 5–6 × 1.5–2 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, tomentose, readily caducous.

Leaf lamina

Leaf blades 4–10 × 3–5.5 cm, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, subacute to shortly obtusely acuminate, rounded, truncate or sometimes cordulate at the base, thinly coriaceous, evenly pubescent along the midrib and main nerves above and beneath, otherwise sparingly so, glossy green above and paler beneath when fresh, drying dark brown or greyish-brown above, dark reddish-brown beneath; lateral nerves in 7–10 pairs, cheilodromous, scarcely prominent above, prominent beneath, tertiary nerves parallel, fairly prominent beneath, quaternary nerves reticulate.

Male

Male flowers: pedicels 1–1.5 mm long, puberulous; sepals 2 × 1 mm, triangular-ovate-lanceolate, acute, puberulous without, glabrous within, yellowish-green; petals 1 × 0.75 mm, obdeltoid-spathulate, incised or tridentate at the apex, cornute, glabrous; disk 1.5–2 mm in diameter, annular, ± smooth; staminal column 1 mm high; anthers 0.7 × 0.5 mm; pistillode 0.5 mm high, conical, notched at apex.

Flowers

Female flowers subsessile; sepals 1.5 × 1.5 mm, triangular, thick, otherwise as in male; petals elliptic-obovate, puberulous without, otherwise as in male; outer disk ± as in male; inner laciniate at the apex, ciliate within, pubescent or subglabrous; ovary 1.5 × 1 mm, ellipsoid, 2-celled; styles 2, c. 1 mm long, ± free, bifid, stigmas ± smooth. Male flowers: pedicels 1–1.5 mm long, puberulous; sepals 2 × 1 mm, triangular-ovate-lanceolate, acute, puberulous without, glabrous within, yellowish-green; petals 1 × 0.75 mm, obdeltoid-spathulate, incised or tridentate at the apex, cornute, glabrous; disk 1.5–2 mm in diameter, annular, ± smooth; staminal column 1 mm high; anthers 0.7 × 0.5 mm; pistillode 0.5 mm high, conical, notched at apex.

Female

Female flowers subsessile; sepals 1.5 × 1.5 mm, triangular, thick, otherwise as in male; petals elliptic-obovate, puberulous without, otherwise as in male; outer disk ± as in male; inner laciniate at the apex, ciliate within, pubescent or subglabrous; ovary 1.5 × 1 mm, ellipsoid, 2-celled; styles 2, c. 1 mm long, ± free, bifid, stigmas ± smooth.

Fruits

Fruit c. 7 × 4–5 mm when dried, ellipsoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, 1-locular by abortion, green at first, then reddening and becoming purplish-black at maturity.

Seeds

Seeds 5 × 3 mm, smooth, brownish.