Family:
Cucurbitaceae Juss.
Genus:
Peponium Engl.

Peponium chirindense (Baker f.) Cogn.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Tanzania (Nguru Mountains) to Zimbabwe.

[FTEA]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967

Morphology General Habit
Climber; stems glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blade broadly reniform-cordate in outline, ± scabrid-punctate above, almost glabrous beneath, somewhat coriaceous, entire or sinuate-dentate, often with apiculate teeth, acute to obtuse and apiculate, 65–130 mm. long, 86–190 mm. broad, palmately 3–5-lobed; lobes triangular or ovate, not or hardly narrowed below, less often obovate and distinctly narrowed below; petiole almost glabrous, 15–60 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Probracts obovate-spathulate, glabrous, 7–12 mm. long, 4–6 mm. broad.
sex Male
Male flowers 7–9 in 100–135 mm. long racemes coaxillary with a solitary flower; peduncle of raceme 45–90 mm. long; pedicels of racemose flowers 3–10 mm. long, of solitary flowers 27–65 mm. long; bracts subtending or shortly adnate to the pedicels, shortly stalked, elliptic, 7–11 mm. long, 4–6 mm. broad; receptacle-tube cylindrical, slightly bulbous at the base, 25–27 mm. long; lobes filiform-lanceolate, 5–7 mm. long; petals 28–32 mm. long, 13–16 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers on ± 50 mm. long stalks; ovary ellipsoid, glabrous, 24 mm. long, 8 mm. across; receptacle-tube cylindrical, ± 18 mm. long; lobes triangular-acuminate, 18–20 mm. long; petals 35–40 mm. long, ± 19 mm. broad. Male flowers 7–9 in 100–135 mm. long racemes coaxillary with a solitary flower; peduncle of raceme 45–90 mm. long; pedicels of racemose flowers 3–10 mm. long, of solitary flowers 27–65 mm. long; bracts subtending or shortly adnate to the pedicels, shortly stalked, elliptic, 7–11 mm. long, 4–6 mm. broad; receptacle-tube cylindrical, slightly bulbous at the base, 25–27 mm. long; lobes filiform-lanceolate, 5–7 mm. long; petals 28–32 mm. long, 13–16 mm. broad.
sex Female
Female flowers on ± 50 mm. long stalks; ovary ellipsoid, glabrous, 24 mm. long, 8 mm. across; receptacle-tube cylindrical, ± 18 mm. long; lobes triangular-acuminate, 18–20 mm. long; petals 35–40 mm. long, ± 19 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit on a 45 mm. long stalk, cylindrical, glabrous, ± 70 mm. long and 25 mm. across.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds elliptic in outline, black, 6.5 × 3.5 × 1.5 mm.
Habitat
Margin of lowland rain-forest; 1000 m.
Distribution
T6

[FZ]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Stems scandent to 8 m. or more, often reaching the canopy of tall trees, rarely prostrate, glabrous or almost so.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-lamina 6·5–15 × 8·5–21 cm., broadly ovate in outline, cordate, usually deeply, coriaceous, dark green, shiny, glabrous except for veins above and occasionally veins beneath, becoming punctate above with age, usually coarsely sinuate-dentate at margins with small apiculate teeth, shallowly to moderately deeply palmately 5-lobed, lobes triangular to ovate-triangular or sometimes rounded, usually shortly acuminate, apiculate, the central largest.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petiole 1·5–7·5 mm. long, glabrous.
Morphology General Tendrils
Tendrils stout.
sex Male
male racemes 7–12-flowered; peduncle 4·5–13·5 cm. long; pedicels of basal solitary flower 2·5–12 cm. long, of racemose flowers 3–32 mm. long; bracts 5–17 mm. long, broadly elliptic, cucullate, rounded to acute. Receptacle-tube 20–30 mm. long, glabrous; lobes 4–8 mm. long, lanceolate. Petal 2·6–2·9 cm. long, c. 1/2 as broad, yellow or pale yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers on 2–3·5 cm. long pedicels; ovary 22–30 × 4–6 mm., ellipsoid, glabrous; receptacle-tube 14–21 mm. long, lobes 5–22 mm. long, triangular-lanceolate; petals 2·4–4·2 cm. long. male racemes 7–12-flowered; peduncle 4·5–13·5 cm. long; pedicels of basal solitary flower 2·5–12 cm. long, of racemose flowers 3–32 mm. long; bracts 5–17 mm. long, broadly elliptic, cucullate, rounded to acute. Receptacle-tube 20–30 mm. long, glabrous; lobes 4–8 mm. long, lanceolate. Petal 2·6–2·9 cm. long, c. 1/2 as broad, yellow or pale yellow.
sex Female
Female flowers on 2–3·5 cm. long pedicels; ovary 22–30 × 4–6 mm., ellipsoid, glabrous; receptacle-tube 14–21 mm. long, lobes 5–22 mm. long, triangular-lanceolate; petals 2·4–4·2 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 8·5–15 × 2·5–8 cm., ovoid-oblong, subrostrate, acute; fruit-stalk 3–5·5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 6·3–9 × 3·3–5 × 1·5–1·7 mm.

Native to:

Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe

Peponium chirindense (Baker f.) Cogn. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 275 II: 218 (1924)

Accepted by

  • Jeffrey, C. (1967). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Cucurbitaceae: 1-156.
  • Launert, E. (ed.) (1978). Flora Zambesiaca 4: 1-658. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Launert, E. (ed.) (1978). Flora Zambesiaca 4: 1-658. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Cogn. in A. Engler, Das Pflanzenreich IV. 275(2): 218 (1924).

  • 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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0