Capparaceae
Maerua

Maerua parvifolia Pax

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 14: 303 (1891)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is South Sudan to S. Africa. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Woody herb with many ascending shoots from spreading underground runners or a bushy shrub up to 5 m. tall.
Morphology Stem
Twigs grey, pilose, later glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves disposed in fascicles along the twigs, subsessile, simple; blade obovate-oblong or oblong-elliptic, rarely exceeding 8–26 mm. long, 3–8 mm, wide, apically rounded to acute, pilose on both surfaces or subglabrous, with the midrib prominent beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually solitary in the axils of the clustered leaves; pedicels 10–17 mm. long, purplish-pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 8–11 mm. long, acute, green, pilose outside; receptacle about 2–3 mm. long, brown, pilose; disk without a prominent free rim.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals usuallypresent, 2–4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 19–24; filaments 15–18 mm. long, greenish-white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary narrowly cylindrical, minutely puberulous or appearing glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits cylindrical, 2–4.5 cm. long, markedly torulose, glabrous or pubescent.
Habitat
Deciduous woodland, bushland and thicket, grassland with scattered trees, often on stony ground, sometimes on termite-mounds; 900–1650 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K5 K6 T1 T2 T4 T5 T7 U1 U2 Northern and Southern Rhodesia to the Transvaal, Angola and South West Africa
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Small shrub up to c. 2 m. tall; branches stiff and rigid, closely pubescent, glabrescent or with patent, rather long hairs on the young parts.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate or fasciculate on abbreviated side shoots, simple; lamina 0.2–1.5 x 0.15–0.65 cm., narrowly oblong-obovate to elliptic, apex rounded or emarginate, mucronulate, base rounded or broadly cuneate, both sides hairy with a dense crisped pubescence, or with longer patent hairs particularly on the midrib, or almost glabrous with a dense or sparse scattering of minute papillae on both sides most readily visible in the more glabrescent forms, nerves in 4–5 pairs, not prominent; petiole c. 1 mm. long, invariably pubescent or with longer patent hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary or in pairs on the abbreviated lateral shoots; pedicels up to 1.6 cm. long, pubescent or glabrescent; bracts minute, setiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle c. 3.5 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide at the mouth, cylindric, pubescent outside, slightly thickened and with a few dentate processes at the margin within.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals c. 7 x 4 mm., oblong-elliptic, apex rounded and apiculate, more or less pubescent outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white, 2.5 x 1.5 mm., elliptic, shortly clawed at the base, margin puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androgynophore
Androgynophore c. 4 mm. long, shortly exserted from the receptacle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 15–25; filaments c. 1.5 cm. long; anthers 1.75 x 0.75 mm., oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary on a gynophore c. 3 cm. long, narrowly oblong-cylindric; ovules c. 10 on 2 placentas; stigma sessile, subcapitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit c. 4.5 x 0.7 cm., cylindric, torulose, narrowed abruptly to a pointed apex, minutely but densely puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2-several, c. 6 mm. in diam., subglobose; testa pale brown, roughened.
[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