Capparaceae
Boscia

Boscia minimifolia Chiov.

First published in Res. Sci. Somalia Ital. 1: 19 (1916)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. & E. Ethiopia to N. Kenya. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

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

Type
S1, from “Uel Hogòn” to “Bardera”, Paoli 807 (FT syn.) and from “Audinle” to “Berdale”, Paoli 973 (FT syn.)
Morphology General Habit
Twiggy shrub up to 4 m tall with smooth, ash-grey bark and branches often swollen at the base
Morphology Twigs
Young twigs purplish-brown, puberulous or glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves densely clustered on short shoots; blade obovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 2.5–10 x 1.5–5(–6) mm, rigid and ± fleshy, glaucous or pale green, puberulous, apically obtuse or rounded, basally attenuate; petiole up to 0.8 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers 2–4(–5), clustered in the leafy shoots; pedicels 2–5(–7) mm long, puberulous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals ovate-elliptic, 2–3 x 1.1–2 mm, puberulous on both surfaces
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle disk reduced
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6; filaments 4–5 mm long; anthers 0.7–1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynophore
Gynophore 3 mm long; ovary ovoid, glabrous, c. 1 mm long, with capitate stigma on short style
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit globose, 5–7 mm in diam., glabrous, tuberculate.
Distribution
N1–3; C1, 2; S1, ?2; N Kenya, E Ethiopia
Ecology
Altitude range 150–1300 m.
Vernacular
Gurmuna, meigag (Somali).
[FSOM]

Capparidaceae, J. Elffers, R. A. Graham & G. P. Dewolf. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1964

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or small tree, twiggy, up to 5 m. tall with smooth grey bark.
Morphology Stem
Twigs glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves disposed in fascicles along the twigs, subsessile or shortly petiolate; blade oblong-elliptic, up to 14 mm. long, 6 mm. wide, but often much less, obtuse, leathery, rather glaucous, minutely puberulent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences of 2–4 flowers fascicled in the leaf-clusters; pedicels filiform, 2–3(–4, in fruit) mm. long, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals elliptic, 3–4 mm. long, hirtellous; receptacle-rim slightly prominent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androphore
Androphore shortly exceeding the apex of the receptacle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6; filaments 4–5 mm. long, glabrous; anthers 0.75–1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynophore
Gynophore slightly shorter than the filaments at anthesis; ovary ovoid, glabrous; stigma flatly capitate;style short.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits spheroid, 4–6 mm. in diameter, smoothly verruculose, glabrous; style persistent as a small cusp.
Figures
Fig. 9/6, p. 54.
Habitat
Deciduous bushland; 750 m.
Distribution
K1
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Uses

Use
The fruit is reported as edible.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0