Gymnosporia mossambicensis (Klotzsch) Loes.

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrublet or shrub or small tree (0.3–)1–8 m. high, sometimes sarmentose, with spines up to 8 cm. long, axillary or terminating short axillary branches, without latex; branches 4-lined, reddish purple to reddish brown with numerous pale somewhat prominent lenticels and sometimes puberulous or pubescent when young, becoming eventually terete, pale grey or cream and glabrous, slender.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves fasciculate or not, petiolate; lamina bright green, slightly paler beneath, ovate or lanceolate to elliptic or subcircular, 0.4–6(–9.7) × 0.4–3.5(–4.3) cm., acute or rarely shortly and obtusely acuminate to obtuse or more rarely rounded at the apex, with margin shallowly ± irregularly rounded-serrulate to acutely incurved-denticulate, rounded or rarely subcordate to cuneate or attenuate at the base, submembranous to chartaceous, with lateral nerves and ± lax reticulate venation more prominent beneath than above; petiole 1.5–6(–9) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes 1–5.5 cm. long, slender, dichasial at first, becoming monochasial, solitary, axillary, or 1–4 on short axillary shoots, with peduncle (5–)7–23 mm. long, glabrous or puberulous; pedicels 2–5.5 mm. long, articulated usually in the lower half, glabrous or puberulous; flowers (1–)3– ± 55 in each cyme, 2.5–4(–5) mm. in diameter, bisexual.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5(–7), unequal, triangular to semicircular, 0.4–1 mm. long, obtuse to rounded, glabrous or rarely puberulous outside, with margin ciliolate to subentire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5, white to yellow or tinged pink (in Flora area), oblong to oblong-elliptic, (1–)1.5–2.7 mm. long, with margin finely ciliolate to entire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5, with filaments 0.7–1 mm. long, slender, arising below the disc.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disc yellow, small, convex, 5-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 3-locular, subglobose, ± a quarter-immersed in the disc; style very short, with 3 large divergent stigmas.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule green or white when immature, pink to scarlet when ripe, pyriform to obconic–3-gonous or subglobose, rounded, 7–13 mm. long, subcoriaceous to somewhat fleshy, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3, reddish brown, rugulose, completely enclosed by a bright orange aril.

Celastraceae, N. K. Robson. Flora Zambesiaca 2:2. 1966

Morphology General Habit

Shrublet or shrub or small tree (0·3)1–8 m. high, sometimes sarmentose, with spines up to 8 cm. long, axillary or terminating short axillary branches, without latex; branches 4-lined, reddish-purple to reddish-brown with numerous pale somewhat prominent lenticels and sometimes puberulous when young, becoming eventually terete, pale grey or cream, glabrous, slender.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves fasciculate or not, petiolate; lamina bright green, slightly paler below, 1–6·6(9·7) × 0·6–3·5(4·3) cm., ovate or lanceolate to elliptic or subcircular, acute or rarely shortly and obtusely acuminate to obtuse or more rarely rounded at the apex, with margin shallowly and ± irregularly rounded-serrulate to acutely incurved-denticulate, rounded or rarely subcordate to cuneate or angustate at the base, submembranous to chartaceous, with lateral nerves and ± lax reticulate venation more prominent below than above; petiole 1·5–6(9) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes dichasial at first, becoming monochasial, solitary, axillary, or 1–4 on short axillary shoots, ± slender, with peduncle (5)7–23 mm. long, glabrous or rarely puberulous; pedicels 2–5·5 mm. long, glabrous or rarely puberulous, articulated usually in the lower 1/2; flowers (1)3-c. 55 in each cyme, 2·5–4(5) mm. in diam., bisexual.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, unequal, 0·4–1 mm. long, triangular to semicircular, obtuse to rounded, glabrous or rarely puberulous outside, with margin ciliolate to subentire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5, white (in our area), (1)1·5–2·7 mm. long, oblong to oblong-elliptic, with margin finely ciliolate to entire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5, with filaments 0·7–1 mm. long, slender, arising below the disk.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk yellow, small, convex, 5-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 3-locular, subglobose, c. 1/4-immersed in the disk; style very short, with 3 large divergent stigmas.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule white when immature, pink to red when ripe, 7–13 mm. long, pyriform to obconic-3-gonous or subglobose, rounded, subcoriaceous to somewhat fleshy, smooth.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3, reddish-brown, rugulose, completely enclosed by a bright orange aril.