Spondianthus Engl.

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit

Dioecious trees, quite glabrous or with a simple indumentum

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate or subverticillate, often crowded at the shoot-apices, petiolate (petiole very variable in length), stipulate, simple, entire, penninerved, varying greatly in size

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal, subterminal or axillary in the axils of the uppermost leaves, shortly pedunculate, paniculate, solitary; bracts resembling the stipules, the males several-flowered with the flowers glomerulate, the females 1-flowered

sex Male

Male flowers subsessile; sepals (4–)5, imbricate; petals (4–)5, somewhat smaller than the sepals; disc-glands 5, epipetalous; stamens 5, episepalous, alternating with disc-glands, filaments free, anthers introrse, medifixed, connective apically pigmented and glandular, thecae parallel, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode obconic-cylindric, truncate and slightly trilobate at the apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers shortly pedicellate; sepals and petals ± as in the ♂ flowers or petals 0; disc shallowly cupular, 5-lobed, the lobes alternating with the sepals; ovary 3-locular, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 3, ± free, short, shortly bilobed, papillose Male flowers subsessile; sepals (4–)5, imbricate; petals (4–)5, somewhat smaller than the sepals; disc-glands 5, epipetalous; stamens 5, episepalous, alternating with disc-glands, filaments free, anthers introrse, medifixed, connective apically pigmented and glandular, thecae parallel, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode obconic-cylindric, truncate and slightly trilobate at the apex

sex Female

Female flowers shortly pedicellate; sepals and petals ± as in the ♂ flowers or petals 0; disc shallowly cupular, 5-lobed, the lobes alternating with the sepals; ovary 3-locular, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 3, ± free, short, shortly bilobed, papillose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit ± ellipsoid, loculicidally dehiscent into 3 valves; exocarp crustaceous; endocarp thin, horny; columella persistent, tripartite

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1 per locule by abortion, compressed ovoid-ellipsoid, often remaining attached to the columella after dehiscence, shiny; exotesta papyraceous, reddish brown; mesotesta spongiose or chartaceous, white; endotesta thin, crustaceous; albumen scanty forming thin strata; embryo straight; cotyledons broad, flat.