Maerua holstii Pax

First published in H.G.A.Engler, Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas, C: 187 (1895)

This species is accepted

The native range of this species is S. Somalia to E. Tanzania. It is a shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

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

Morphology General Habit: Straggling or scrambling shrub up to at least 3 m tall; young stems covered with brownish hairs
Morphology Leaves: Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets obovate to oblong-obovate, 20–85 x 15–55 mm, rounded at the apex, pubescent; petiole 20–30 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Flowers solitary or in 2–4-flowered racemes; pedicels 10–25 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle: Receptacle 7–10 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Sepals 12–23 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla: Petals c. 5 mm long, yellowish white
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens: Stamens many
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary: Ovary ovoid, c. 2 mm long, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Fruits subglobose, up to 4 cm in diam.
Distribution: S3; E Kenya, E Tanzania
Ecology: Altitude range 20–25 m.

[FSOM]

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

Morphology General Habit: Straggling or scrambling shrub, up to perhaps 3 m. tall.
Morphology Stem: Young twigs densely covered with sometimes spreading, fulvous, rather bristly hairs.
Morphology Leaves: Leaves petiolate, 3-foliolate; blade obovate to oblong-obovate, 2–8.5 cm. long, 1.5–5.5 cm. wide, apically rounded or somewhat truncate, basally broadly cuneate, pubescent; petiole 2–3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences: Inflorescence 2–4-flowered terminal and lateral racemes or the flowers solitary in the leaf-axils; pedicels 1–2.5 cm. long, becoming stout.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Sepals 12–20(–23) mm. long, pubescent on both surfaces; receptacle 7–10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla: Petals about 5 mm. long, cream.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens: Stamens ± 44; filaments 3–4 cm. long, markedly rigidly exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary: Ovary ovoid, ± 2 mm. long, usually densely pubescent; stigma broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Fruits subspheroid, up to 4 cm. in diameter, densely verruculose, green, glabrescent, with the small stigma persistent.
Habitat: Lowland rain-forest, sometimes in dense shade, and in deciduous woodland in dry sandy places; 30–450 m.
Distribution: K7 T3 T6 T8 not known elsewhere

[FTEA]

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
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

Descriptions