Capparaceae
Maerua

Maerua angolensis DC.

First published in Prodr. 1: 254 (1824)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is a scrambling shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Capparidaceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or small tree up to c. 8 m. tall; young branches pubescent or glabrescent, becoming densely lenticelled.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple; lamina 2.5–7 x 1.3–5.5 cm., lanceolate, broadly elliptic or ovate to broadly ovate, apex rounded or emarginate, mucronulate, base broadly cuneate or rounded, glabrous or pubescent on both sides, nerves in 5–6 pairs, slightly prominent on both sides; petioles up to 3 cm. long, often slightly swollen just below the lamina.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of short, terminal, corymbose racemes on the main branches or on short side branches or flower solitary in the axils of the upper leaves; pedicels up to 2.5 cm. long, glabrous or pubescent; bracts subulate, trifid with the longer middle lobe up to 3 mm. long or similar to the leaves but smaller.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle 8–15 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, cylindric, slightly wider at the mouth, glabrous or pubescent outside, with a fimbriately lobed disk, c. 2.5 mm. long at its margin within.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 1–1.7 x 0.5–0.7 cm., narrowly oblong-obovate or elliptic, apex rounded to a shortly apiculate apex, pubescent on both sides or glabrous on both sides except at the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androgynophore
Androgynophore c. the same length as the receptacle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens c. 50; filaments c. 4 cm. long; anthers 2 x 0.75 mm., narrowly oblong, arcuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary on a gynophore up to 4 cm. long, narrowly oblong; ovules c. 80 on 2 placentas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 2–16 x 1 cm., narrowly cylindric, torulose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds from several to numerous, c. 6 mm. in diam., subglobose, with a smooth, pale brown testa.
[FZ]

Capparidaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit
Shrub, or tree to 30 ft. high or more, in savannah
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white.
[FWTA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/62357/146196411

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or slender tree, up to 7 m tall, with glabrous stems and leaves
Morphology Leaves
Leaves simple; blade elliptic to ovate or obovate, c. 20–55 x 13–30 mm, usually obtuse, midrib raised beneath; petiole 10–30 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in short corymbose racemes; pedicel 6–18 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle cylindrical, (7–)9–20 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 4, c. 14–20 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens many; androgynophore exceeding the receptacle by 2–5 mm in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary narrowly cylindrical, 4–6 mm long; gynophore 23–40 mm long in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits up to 13(–22) x 1 cm, markedly torulose, many-seeded.
Distribution
N1; S2, 3 west to Senegal and south to South Africa.
Ecology
Altitude range 30–1800 m.
[FSOM]

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or small tree up to about 10 m. tall, often rather rambling, with spreading or drooping branches.
Morphology Stem
Young twigs pubescent or subglabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate, simple; blade ovate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, more rarely obovate to suborbicular, 3–10 cm. long, 1.5–5 cm. wide, apically obtuse, emarginate or rounded, sometimes mucronate, basally usually rounded to cordate, glabrous or more rarely pubescent; petiole 1–3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a short corymbose raceme, terminal or on short lateral branches; pedicels 8–12 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals white or pale green, marginally tomentose; receptacle narrowly cylindrical, usually rather long, 5–25 mm. long, often fleshy, ribbed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens many, variable in number, 15–40 mm. long, yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary narrowly cylindrical, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits cylindrical, up to 22 cm. long, markedly torulose, green, verrucose, glabrous.
Habitat
Deciduous woodland and bushland, scattered-tree grassland and edges of upland rain-forest, also coral-strands; 0–1500 m.
Distribution
K1 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 from Somali Republic (N.) to South Africa (Natal) and west to Senegal
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • 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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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