Capparaceae
Maerua

Maerua nana R.A.Graham ex Polhill

First published in Kew Bull. 19: 61 (1964)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tanzania. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial with a number of erect shoots from slender woody rhizomes, up to 2 dm. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrous or pubescent, glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves shortly petiolate, simple; blade elliptic-lanceolate to elliptic, up to 8.5 cm. long, 1.3–3 cm. wide, subacute to rounded, mucronate at the apex, narrowed to the base, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs on both surfaces towards the base; petiole up to 3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a short terminal few-flowered subcorymbose raceme, up to 3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 8–8.5 mm. long, sparsely hairy outside with the margins densely puberulous; receptacle up to 4 mm. long; disk 4-lobed, up to 1.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals obovate-elliptic, 5–8 mm. long, white or greenish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens ± 30; filaments up to 20–25 mm. long, white with a green base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary cylindrical, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits narrowly cylindrical, up to 2.5 cm. long, slightly torulose, glabrous.
Habitat
Grassland with scattered trees, deciduous bushland; 1000–1250 m.
Distribution
T1 T4 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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