Capparaceae
Maerua

Maerua edulis (Gilg & Gilg-Ben.) DeWolf

First published in Kew Bull. 16: 82 (1962)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Africa. It is a tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Spreading shrub or bushy woody herb, 3–30 dm. tall, with a persistent woody thickened root, glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate, simple; blade broadly lanceolate, ovate or suborbicular, rounded to acute, mucronate at the apex, rounded at the base, generally prominently 3–5-nerved; petiole 5–7 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers many, borne singly in the upper leaf-axils; pedicels 1–2.5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 3–4, elliptic, 9–13 mm. long; receptacle 2–4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androphore
Androphore about 1 mm. longer than the receptacle; stamens 1.5–3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynophore
Gynophore 1.9–3 cm. long, generally recurved at maturity; ovary spindle-shaped, 4–6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits globose, 1.5–2 cm. in diameter, yellow or orange, 1–4-seeded.
Habitat
Deciduous woodland, bushland and thicket, grassland with scattered trees; 0–1800 m.
Distribution
K1 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Small, glabrous, glaucous shrub up to 2 m. tall but usually c. 1 m. tall, with spreading branches from ground level or branching somewhat above the base; branches smooth and green.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-lamina 1.5–5.5 x 0.75–5.5 cm., broadly elliptic, ovate or rotund, apex obtuse or subacute, mucronate, rounded or slightly cordate at the base, 3–5-nerved from near the base; petiole 3–6 mm. long, slender.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, solitary, towards the ends of the branches on pedicels 1–2.5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals yellowish-green to whitish-green, c. 2 x 1.5 cm., narrowly ovate to ovate, acute at the apex, with three principal nerves; receptacle c. 2 nun long; disk sinuate-dentate at the margin, 1–2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens numerous on a short columnar androgynophore 2–3 mm. long; filaments c. 2 cm. long, slender; anthers oblong, apiculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2- or rarely 3-locular, fusiform, glabrous, on a long slender gynophore 1.7–3 cm. long; style 0; stigma capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit c. 2 cm. in diam., globose, glaucous-green, bluntly apiculate at the apex, with a coriaceous pericarp and somewhat fleshy inside, borne on a usually recurved gynophore which thickens in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds solitary or occasionally 2–3-together, up to 1.8 x 0.8 cm., thick and discoid, fleshy with a papery testa, with two large cortyledons and a deeply embedded radicle.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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

    • 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0