Gymnosporia gracilipes (Welw. ex Oliv.) Loes.

Celastraceae, N.K.B. Robson, N. Hallé, B. Mathew & R. Blakelock†. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1994

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or tree 0.5–5(–9) m. high, sometimes scrambling or scandent, with spines up to 4(–6) cm. long, without latex; branches flattened, angular, green and glabrous to pubescent when young, becoming terete, striate, purplish to orange-brown, with or without pale lenticels, glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves not fasciculate, petiolate, glabrous; lamina concolorous or paler beneath, elliptic to oblong, 3–16.5(–20) × 1.2–8 cm., acute or shortly acuminate with apex or acumen acute to rounded, with margin singly or doubly serrate or serrulate with teeth acute to rounded, spreading to incurved, cuneate to rounded at the base, subcoriaceous to papyraceous, with lateral nerves and densely reticulate venation equally prominent above and beneath; petiole 2–10 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes 3–4 cm. long, slender, dichasial or ± monochasial, solitary and axillary or 2–8(–10) on short axillary shoots, with peduncle 18–80 mm. long, glabrous or puberulous; pedicels 2–7 mm. long, glabrous or puberulous, articulated at or near the base; flowers 5–many(-more than 60) in each cyme, 3–4 mm. in diameter, polygamous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5(–6), equal, triangular-ovate, 0.7–1 mm. long, wholly glabrous or puberulous outside, with margin ciliolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5(–6), white or greenish white to cream or tinged pink, elliptic-oblong, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, with apex entire to ciliolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5(–6), shorter than petals, with filaments 0.7–1.25 mm. long, slender, arising below the disc; staminodes in ♀ flowers 0.5–0.75 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disc narrow, convex, 5-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 3–4-locular, broadly ovoid, slightly (± half) immersed in the disc; style very short, unbranched in ♂ flowers, ± as long as ovary, 3(–4)-branched with divergent stigmas in ♀ flowers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule pink to red, streaked white or mottled green when young, pyriform, 10–22 mm. long, retuse to subacute, coriaceous, glabrous or finely puberulous, pendulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3–4, orange-brown, glossy, with fleshy smooth white cupuliform aril at the base.