Phragmanthera Tiegh.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs, often large and pendent, with a single haustorial attachment; branchlets slightly compressed; youngest parts, at least, always with scales, stellate and verticillately branched dendritic hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, subopposite or rarely ternate, generally petiolate, usually somewhat leathery, penninerved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowers in sessile to shortly pedunculate umbels or 2–several in the axils; bract unilateral, often gibbous, sometimes enlarged and leaf-like

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx annular to shortly tubular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 5-lobed, with tube longer than lobes, usually yellow or orange with red markings or more generally reddish, but colours often muted by indumentum; apical swelling of bud fusiform to globular, sometimes ribbed or narrowly winged; basal swelling variably developed; tube split unilaterally with a V-slit; lobes erect or reflexed, narrow below, upper part expanded to varying degrees and often hardened inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens attached near base of lobes, linear, inrolled at anthesis, sometimes with a tooth in front of the anther; anther oblong to linear-oblong, with the 4 thecae transversely divided into several–many locules

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style slender, 5-angled or narrowly 5-winged, often expanded opposite filaments and narrowed opposite anthers

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Berry reddish or often blue to blue-green, ellipsoid or obovoid, generally with persistent calyx.

Distribution

35 species, well distributed in tropical Africa and Arabia, but sparse in arid regions.

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 9, Part 3. Polygonaceae-Myriaceae. Pope GV, Polhill RM, Martins ES. 2006.

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs, often large and pendent, with a single haustorial attachment; branchlets slightly compressed; youngest parts, at least, always with scales, stellate and verticillately branched dendritic hairs Shrubs, often large and pendent, with a single haustorial attachment; branchlets slightly compressed; youngest parts, at least, always with scales, stellate and verticillately branched dendritic hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, subopposite or rarely ternate, generally petiolate, usually somewhat coriaceous, penninerved Leaves opposite, subopposite or rarely ternate, generally petiolate, usually somewhat coriaceous, penninerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in sessile to shortly pedunculate umbels or 2–several in the axils; bract unilateral, often gibbous, sometimes enlarged and foliaceous Flowers in sessile to shortly pedunculate umbels or 2–several in the axils; bract unilateral, often gibbous, sometimes enlarged and foliaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx annular to shortly tubular, generally shorter than receptacle, subentire to shortly lobed Calyx annular to shortly tubular, generally shorter than receptacle, subentire to shortly lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style slender, 5-angled or narrowly 5-winged, often expanded opposite filaments and narrowed opposite anthers, sometimes papillate or hairy; stigma globular to obovoid or conical-ovoid

Ecology

Most of the species occur in or near forests, but a few have extended into relatively dry habitats especially in south-central and southern Africa.

Note

The flowers open by vents developing between the lower part of the corolla lobes, revealing the contrasting colour of the filaments as a honey guide. Penetration of the pollinator’s beak causes the characteristic V-shaped slit on that side, the sprung filaments incurve to scatter pollen and the stigma is often pulled towards the bird’s head by the curling stamens. After anthesis the conspicuousness of the inflorescence is often enhanced by intensive colouring of the corolla tube inside. Phragmanthera closely mimics Agelanthus in its flower structure, and both genera were included in Tapinanthus by Danser in Verh. K. Akad. Wet., sect. 2, 29, 6 (1933). It is easily distinguished from both those genera by the indumentum of scales, stellate and dendritic hairs, by the unilateral bract and locellate anthers. It appears most closely related to Oedina and the Asiatic genus Dendrophthoë, differing from both by the more specialized pollination mechanism.

Distribution

34 species, well distributed in tropical Africa and Arabia, the species often very common locally and liable to become pests of plantation crops. Most of the species occur in or near forests, but a few have extended into relatively dry habitats especially

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 5(exceptionally 6)-lobed, with tube longer than lobes, usually yellow or orange with red markings or more generally reddish, but colours often muted by indumentum; apical swelling of bud fusiform to globular, sometimes ribbed or narrowly winged; basal swelling variably developed; tube split unilaterally, the V-slit extending little more or less than halfway, papillate along sutures and edges of filament lines to varying degrees; lobes erect or reflexed, narrow below, upper part expanded to varying degrees and often hardened inside. Corolla 5(exceptionally 6)-lobed, with tube longer than lobes, usually yellow or orange with red markings or more generally reddish, but colours often muted by indumentum; apical swelling of bud fusiform to globular, sometimes ribbed or narrowly winged; basal swelling variably developed; tube split unilaterally, the V-slit extending little more or less than halfway, papillate along sutures and edges of filament lines to varying degrees; lobes erect or reflexed, narrow below, upper part expanded to varying degrees and often hardened inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamen filaments attached near base of lobes, linear, inrolled at anthesis, sometimes with a tooth in front of the anther; anther oblong to linear-oblong, with 4 thecae transversely divided into several to many locules. Stamen filaments attached near base of lobes, linear, inrolled at anthesis, sometimes with a tooth in front of the anther; anther oblong to linear-oblong, with 4 thecae transversely divided into several to many locules

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style slender, 5-angled or narrowly 5-winged, often expanded opposite filaments and narrowed opposite anthers, sometimes papillate or hairy; stigma globular to obovoid or conical-ovoid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Berry reddish or often blue to blue-green, ellipsoid or obovoid, generally with persistent calyx. Berry reddish or often blue to blue-green, ellipsoid or obovoid, generally with persistent calyx.