Connaraceae
Burttia

Burttia prunoides Baker f. & Exell

First published in J. Bot. 69: 249 (1931)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NW. & Central Tanzania, NE. Zambia. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Connaraceae, E. J. Mendes. Flora Zambesiaca 2:2. 1966

Morphology General Habit
Bushy shrub or small spreading tree, up to 4 m. high; young branches pubescent, later glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves crowning short or long shoots; petiole (1)2–4(6) cm. long, slender, articulated at the apex, densely ferruginous-hairy when young: later glabrescent; lamina 3–7 × 2–5·5 cm,, broadly ovate to elliptic, apex shortly acuminate to acute, base subcordate to broadly cuneate; young leaves ferruginous-or silvery-sericeous-tomentose, later glabrescent; lateral nerves 6–9 pairs, ascending.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes usually 2-flowered, in the axils of very young leaves; rhachis ferruginous-hairy, slender, up to 5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers (4)5-merous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals c. 7 × 2·5 mm., elliptic to oblong, externally sparsely ferruginous-pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals creamy-white or pink (Richards 2259 (K)), up to 22 × 9 mm., glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Long-staminate flowers with 5 antisepalous stamens up to 10 mm. long and 5 antipetalous ones up to 7 mm. long; short-staminate flowers with 5 antisepalous stamens up to 7 mm. long and 5 antipetalous stamens up to 5 mm. long; filaments connate at the base for c. 0·7 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpel of long-staminate flowers up to 5 mm. long, that of short-staminate flowers up to 9 mm. long; ovary densely pilose; style glabrous; stigma papillose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicle up to 13 × 6 mm., sericeous, apex with a short rostrum up to 3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed up to 10 × 4 mm.; aril bright red at maturity.
[FZ]

Connaraceae, J. H. Hemsley. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1956

Morphology General Habit
Deciduous bushy shrub or small tree to 6 m. high.
Morphology Branches
Young branches pubescent, later becoming glabrous; shoots of unlimited growth with little scarring, short shoots with conspicuous annular scars.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in terminal rosettes on long and short shoots; petiole 2.5–5 cm. long, densely rusty pilose when young, later glabrescent; lamina ovate, broadly elliptic to suborbicular, 5–8 cm. long, 3–6 cm. wide, apex obtuse and shortly acuminate, base rounded to subcordate; upper surface puberulous when young, later glabrous, lower surface pubescent when young, hairy on midrib and main nerves only in older leaves; lateral nerves 6–9 pairs, ascending.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes congested in axils of young leaf rosette; rhachis slender, to 5 cm. long, rusty hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals oblong to oblong-elliptic, 4–6 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, rusty pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white, ± obovate, 9–13 mm. long, 5–7 mm. wide, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Long-stamened flowers with episepalous stamens to 10 mm. long and epipetalous to 7 mm. long; short-stamened flowers with episepalous stamens to 5 mm. long and epipetalous to 3.5 mm. long; filaments glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary to 2 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, densely pilose; style of long-stamened flowers to 3 mm. long, that of short-stamened flowers to 6 mm. long, glabrous; stigma papillose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit to 1.3 cm. long, 9 mm. diam., apex with a short rostrum, calyx persisting at base, sericeous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed to 1.2 cm. long, 6 mm. diam.; aril bright red at maturity.
Figures
Fig. 2.
Habitat
Deciduous thicket, 800–1500 m.
Distribution
T1 T5
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165207934/165208015

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