Crambe kilimandscharica O.E.Schulz

First published in Beibl. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 119: 54 (1916)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Ethiopia to E. DR Congo. It is an annual and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Cruciferae, Bengt Jonsell (University of Stockholm). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1982

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb of very variable size and habit.
Morphology Stem
Stems usually erect and branched only in upper parts (in low plants also ascending and branched from the base), furrowed, 15–120 cm. high, densely hispid especially below (rarely practically glabrous).
Morphology Leaves
Leaves densely hairy on both surfaces (rarely almost glabrous); lower and median leaves petiolate, incised to lyrate-pinnate; terminal lobe large, acutely ovate to rhombic, cuneate (rarely truncate), 5–11 cm. long, 3–8 cm. broad in well developed plants; lateral lobes much smaller, in 1-few pairs, free or ± connected with each other and the end lobe; leaf-margins biserrate; upper leaves narrowly rhombic to lanceolate, serrate, almost sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes with numerous very small whitish flowers, in fruit lax, usually with several side branches, hairy, up to 30 cm. long; pedicels ascending to erect, 2.5–8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals green with white margins, elliptic, 1.5–2.3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals white, narrowly spathulate, equalling or shorter than sepals, 1–2.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2–3 mm. long; anthers 0.4–0.7 mm. long; filaments linear, not denticulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Upper segment of ovary ellipsoid, slightly broader than and ± 6 times as long as the lower.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet spheroidal to broadly ellipsoid, distinctly reticulate to rugose, 2.5–4 mm. long, 2.2–3.3 mm. broad, with a yellowish brown finely rugose seed; lower fruit segment 0.2–0.6 mm. long, usually equalling but sometimes considerably longer than the gynophore.
Figures
Fig. 4, p. 14.
Habitat
Grassland, forest clearings, various kinds of disturbed ground, often a weed of cultivations; 1200–3400 m.
Distribution
montane areas of eastern Zaire K3 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 U1 U2 U3
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0