Combretaceae
Combretum

Combretum apiculatum Sond.

First published in Linnaea 23: 45 (1850)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Africa. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Combretaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Small semi-deciduous tree 4–10 m. high, rarely a shrub (doubtfully recorded as scandent); crown open, flattened to rounded; bark greyish-black, deeply fissured, scaly; branchlets tomentose to glabrous (except for scales), lepidote; leaf-buds black or dark-brown.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite; lamina 3–13 x 1·5–7·5 cm., glutinous when young, broadly to narrowly obovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic or ovate to sub-circular, lepidote (sometimes inconspicuously so) and pubescent or pilose to glabrous (except for scales), apex usually apiculate or mucronate and usually twisted, base usually rounded to subcordate; lateral nerves 5–7 pairs, ± arcuate, reticulation rather inconspicuous to prominulous beneath; petiole up to 10 mm. long, leaving a prominent peg.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences of axillary spikes 3–7 cm. long; rhachis lepidote and otherwise glabrous or hairy; bracts 1·5 x 0·3 mm., caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers sessile, yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Lower receptacle 2 mm. long, lepidote and otherwise hairy or glabrous; upper receptacle 3–4 x 2·5–3 mm., campanulate, lepidote and otherwise glabrous or pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 0·5–1 mm. long, broadly deltate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 1·2 x 1·2 mm., obtriangular, ciliate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamen-filaments 5 mm. long, anthers 1·2–1·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk with a pilose scarcely free margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 5 mm. long, stout, not expanded at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 2–3 x 1·5–2·5 cm., shiny (glutinous when young), subcircular to elliptic in outline, lepidote, otherwise glabrous or pubescent, apical peg up to 1 mm. long, wings up to 7 mm. broad, stipe 4–8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Cotyledons
Cotyledons 2, 2·5–2·8 x 3–4 cm., arising below soil level; petioles 4–5 cm. long.
Morphology General Scales
Scales yellowish-red, usually inconspicuous and often concealed by glutinous excretions, c. 45(50)–75(90)µ in diam., scalloped at each marginal cell; cells delimited by (7)8(10) radial walls and sometimes also up to 5 tangential walls and rarely with extra radial walls, marginal cells 7–10; cell-walls clear and thin, cells ± transparent.
[FZ]

Combretaceae, G. E. Wickens. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1973

Morphology General Habit
Small tree up to 10 m. high, rarely a shrub; bark grey to greyish black, smooth or reticulated; leaf-buds black or dark brown.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite; lamina subcoriaceous to papyraceous, glutinous when young, broadly to narrowly obovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic or ovate to subcircular, 3–14 cm. long, 1.5–7.5 cm. wide, apex usually apiculate or mucronate and usually twisted, base usually rounded to subcordate, mature leaves usually glabrous (except for scales) in E. Africa, sometimes pilose along the midrib and principal nerves beneath, then lamina less than 7 cm. long; scales yellowish red, not contiguous and sometimes inconspicuous due to the glutinous secretions; lateral nerves 5–10 pairs, reticulation rather inconspicuous to prominulous beneath; petiole up to 10 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences of axillary spikes up to 3–7 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers yellow, fragrance if any, not recorded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Lower receptacle lepidote and otherwise hairy or glabrous; upper receptacle campanulate, 3–4 mm. long, 2.5–3 mm. in diameter, lepidote and otherwise glabrous or pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals broadly deltate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals obtriangular, 1.2 mm. long and wide, apex ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamen-filaments 5 mm. long, inserted at the margin of the disk; anthers 1.2–1.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk with a pilose scarcely free margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit (fig. 5/15, p. 16) subcircular to elliptic or oblong-elliptic in outline, 2–3 cm. long, 1.5–2.5 cm. wide, glutinous when young, shiny when mature, lepidote and otherwise glabrous or pubescent; apical peg up to 1 mm. long; wings up to 7 mm. wide; stipe 4–8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Germination
Cotyledons 2, arising below soil-level; petiole 4–5 cm. long.
Morphology General Scales
Scales (fig. 2/15, p. 13) 45–75(–90) μ in diameter, scalloped at each marginal cell; cells delimited by (7–)8(–10) radial walls and sometimes also up to 5 tangential walls and rarely with extra radial walls, marginal cells 7–10; cell walls clear and thin, cells not opaque.
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/147140271/147140273

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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