Dichapetalum fructuosum Hiern

Dichapetalaceae, F.J. Breteler (Agricultural University, Wageningen). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Liana, lianescent shrub or shrub.

Morphology Branches

Branches glabrous or glabrescent with small sparse lenticels; branchlets densely to sparsely shortly subappressed brown hairy, soon glabrescent or not.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules usually early caducous, narrowly triangular, (1–)3–6 mm. long, appressed brown hairy.

Morphology Leaves

Petiole 3–7 mm. long, sparsely to densely subappressed hairy, often soon glabrescent; blade elliptic to obovate-oblong, (5–)9–14(–20) × 3–6(–8) cm., obtuse to cuneate at base, obtuse, rounded or acuminate at apex, the acumen obtuse to acute, up to ± 2 cm. long, with 5–8 pairs of main lateral nerves, sparsely to densely subappressed hairy on midrib and main lateral nerves on both surfaces, usually very soon glabrescent, sometimes longer persistent on midrib above (not fully developed leaves may be hairy overall).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences in the axils of normal leaves or several together on short, leafless, axillary shoots, the leaves reduced to scales or absent, (5–)15-many-flowered, up to 10 times branched, subappressed brown hairy or tomentellous; peduncle free from the petiole or adnate to it, (0–)0.5–2(–5) cm. long; bracts and bracteoles deltoid to narrowly triangular-subulate, 0.5–1.5(–3) mm. long; pedicel up to 6 mm. long, the upper part (0–)1–2 mm. long, densely appressed short-hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals reflexed in fully developed flowers, ovate-elliptic, 2.5–5 × 0.75–1.25 mm., rusty to pale brown short-hairy outside, inside sparsely so.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals suberect to reflexed, slender with rather flat lobes or obovate in outline with more concave lobes, 2.5–5 mm. long, split 1–2.5 mm., glabrous or with a few stiff subappressed hairs outside below split.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens erect or nearly so, (2.5–)3.5–5.5 mm. long, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Pistil 3-merous, 3.5–5 mm. long; ovary densely lanate; style glabrous or with a few hairs, 3-lobed at top.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits (? mature) 1–2(?–3)-seeded, when 1-seeded obovoid-ellipsoid, 1–1.5 cm. long, ± 0.75 cm. in diameter, shortly apiculate, rusty tomentose.

Habitat

Coastal forest; ± 200 m.

Distribution

Nigeria to Zaire and south to Angola K7