Bridelia ndellensis Beille

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

Habit

A much-branched deciduous tree 8–14 m., with a spiny trunk.

Twigs

Twigs brown or dark brown, sparingly lenticellate.

Shoots

Young shoots and petioles densely fulvous or ferruginous tomentose.

Leaves

Petioles 6–11 mm. long; leaf-blades elliptic-ovate, elliptic-obovate, elliptic or elliptic-oblanceolate, (5–)10–18 cm. long, 4–8 cm. wide, obtuse or shortly obtusely or subacutely acuminate at apex, cuneate, rounded, truncate or shallowly cordate at base, subentire or very shallowly crenate, chartaceous, lateral nerves 9–17, craspedodromous, not prominent above, prominent beneath, tertiary nerves ± parallel, somewhat prominent beneath, sparingly ferruginous pubescent and more evenly so along the midrib or else glabrescent above, evenly ferruginous pubescent and more densely so along the midrib and nerves beneath, dark green above, paler beneath, drying greyish or dark brown above and chestnut-brown beneath.

Stipules

Stipules very quickly caducous.

Flowers

Flowers densely glomerulate, fragrant. Female flowers subsessile; sepals as in the ♂ flowers; petals elliptic, 0.75 mm. long, subentire, keeled, pubescent without along the keel, otherwise glabrous; outer disc ± annular, 1.5–2 mm. across, inner disc divided into 4 or 5 triangular pubescent or subglabrous ± entire lobes enclosing the ovary; ovary ovoid, 1.5–2 mm. long, 2-locular; styles 2, united at the base, bifid. Male flowers:pedicels 2 mm. long, pubescent; sepals triangular, 1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, acute, pubescent without, glabrous within, yellowish green; petals obtriangular-spathulate, 0.5 mm. long, emarginate, keeled; disc annular, ± flat, 2 mm. across, entire, glabrous; staminal column 1 mm. high; anthers 0.5 mm. long; pistillode conical, 0.7 mm. tall, bifid at the apex.

Bracts

Bracts minute, triangular, acute, pubescent.

Male

Male flowers:pedicels 2 mm. long, pubescent; sepals triangular, 1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, acute, pubescent without, glabrous within, yellowish green; petals obtriangular-spathulate, 0.5 mm. long, emarginate, keeled; disc annular, ± flat, 2 mm. across, entire, glabrous; staminal column 1 mm. high; anthers 0.5 mm. long; pistillode conical, 0.7 mm. tall, bifid at the apex.

Female

Female flowers subsessile; sepals as in the ♂ flowers; petals elliptic, 0.75 mm. long, subentire, keeled, pubescent without along the keel, otherwise glabrous; outer disc ± annular, 1.5–2 mm. across, inner disc divided into 4 or 5 triangular pubescent or subglabrous ± entire lobes enclosing the ovary; ovary ovoid, 1.5–2 mm. long, 2-locular; styles 2, united at the base, bifid.

Fruits

Fruits ellipsoid-oblong, 1-locular by abortion, 7–9 mm. long, 5 mm. wide, green, later turning purple when ripe.

Seeds

Seed 5 mm. long, ± smooth, shiny, dark brown.

Habitat

On stony ground, in moist ravines, swamps, fringing forest and open bushland; 1375–2000 m.

Distribution

U1 U2 from Nigeria eastwards to Sudan and south to Zaire (Lower Shaba)