Family:
Amaranthaceae Juss.
Genus:
Psilotrichum Blume

Psilotrichum axilliflorum Suess.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Congo to SW. Uganda.

[FTEA]

Amaranthaceae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb, erect or decumbent and rooting at the lower nodes, simple or sparingly branched, 15–50 cm.
Morphology Stem
Stem and branches terete, slender, densely furnished with crisped white hairs, often somewhat thickened at the nodes.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves elliptic, 3.5–9 (–12) × 1.25–4 cm., acute to slightly acuminate at the mucronate apex, long-cuneate at the base, slightly pilose on both surfaces to moderately appressed-pilose below.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, borne from near the base of the stem, of short few-flowered spikes ± 1–1.5 cm. wide and finally elongating to ± 2–7 cm. long, axis ± densely white pilose; peduncles 3–9 mm.; bracts lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, ± 1.75 mm., scarious with a greenish centre, ciliate, sharply mucronate with the aristate midrib; bracteoles deltoid-ovate, ± 2 mm., green centrally with scarious margins, ciliate, mucronate with the excurrent midrib.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals greenish white, lanceolate, sharply acuminate; outer 2 tepals ± 7 mm., 5-nerved, the dorsal nerves very prominent and carinate, extending the full length of the tepal, the lamina between the ribs pale and pellucid, the 2 submarginal nerves less prominent, uniformly short-pilose, hyaline margins strongly involute; inner 2 tepals similar but slightly shorter, with no submarginal ribs and the hyaline margins densely furnished with long, ascending, multicellular white hairs; intermediate tepal with one side with a submarginal nerve and short hairs, the other side with no submarginal nerve and long-pilose; midrib and lateral nerves of all tepals confluent at the apex in an indistinct mucro.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens short and slender, ± 2–3 mm.; pseudostaminodes absent, or occasionally a minute tooth present in the sinus between the filaments.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary pyriform, ± 1.25 mm..
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style rather slender, 1.25–1.5 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Ripe capsule and seed not seen.
Habitat
Ground-herb under old Cynometra forest in deep shade; ± 1000 m.
Distribution
U2

Native to:

Congo, Uganda, Zaïre

Psilotrichum axilliflorum Suess. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 15: 69 (1938)

Accepted by

  • Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo) Taxonomania 30: 1-307.
  • Robyns, W. & al. (eds.) (1948-1963). Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi 1-10.
  • Sita, P. & Moutsambote, J.-M. (2005). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo, ed. sept. 2005: 1-158. ORSTOM, Centre de Brazzaville.
  • Townsend, C.C. (1985). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Amaranthaceae: 1-136.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo) Taxonomania 30: 1-307.
  • Sita, P. & Moutsambote, J.-M. (2005). Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo, ed. sept. 2005: 1-158. ORSTOM, Centre de Brazzaville.
  • Townsend, C.C. (1985). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Amaranthaceae: 1-136.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Hauman in Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi, 2: 37 (1951).
  • Suesseng. in Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de l'État a Bruxelles 15: 69 (1938).

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0