Raphidiocystis jeffreyana R.Fern. & A.Fern.

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

Morphology General Habit

Climber; stems herbaceous, slightly puberulous, especially at the nodes, also with scattered slightly recurved spreading brownish setae on the ridges especially about the nodes.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blade ovate-cordate to suborbicular-cordate in outline, ± punctate above, puberulous on the nerves especially beneath, slightly undulate with small apiculate teeth in the sinuses, 55–98 mm. long, 51–105 mm. broad, lobed, with 1–2 shallow triangular or rounded lateral lobes on each side, and a large triangular acute to rounded or slightly retuse acuminate and apiculate central lobe; petiole puberulous and also sometimes with a few ± recurved setae, 8–70 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flowers 1–8 on ± 5 mm. long pedicels, mixed with 1–2 ♀ flowers; bracts, when present, foliaceous, subsessile, up to 16 mm. long, unlobed; receptacle-tube cylindrical, ± 5 mm. long; lobes 5–8 mm. long, pinnately divided into several narrow segments; corolla orange. Female flowers solitary or in few-flowered clusters or short bracteate racemes; pedicel 6–29 mm. long; ovary densely bristly with red-brown setae, long-ellipsoid, ± 14 mm. long and 5 mm. across; receptacle-tube cylindrical, 3.5–4 mm. long; lobes 3–5 mm. long, finely divided into a few setaceous segments; corolla-lobes 20–25 mm. long, 5–6 mm. broad, united in lower three-quarters.

sex Male

Male flowers 1–8 on ± 5 mm. long pedicels, mixed with 1–2 ♀ flowers; bracts, when present, foliaceous, subsessile, up to 16 mm. long, unlobed; receptacle-tube cylindrical, ± 5 mm. long; lobes 5–8 mm. long, pinnately divided into several narrow segments; corolla orange.

sex Female

Female flowers solitary or in few-flowered clusters or short bracteate racemes; pedicel 6–29 mm. long; ovary densely bristly with red-brown setae, long-ellipsoid, ± 14 mm. long and 5 mm. across; receptacle-tube cylindrical, 3.5–4 mm. long; lobes 3–5 mm. long, finely divided into a few setaceous segments; corolla-lobes 20–25 mm. long, 5–6 mm. broad, united in lower three-quarters.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit on a 10–50 mm, long stalk, ellipsoid-cylindrical, ± 65 mm. long and 25 mm. across, densely echinate with red-brown setae; seeds asymmetrically broadly ovate in outline, compressed, 6 × 5 × 1.5 mm.; testa smooth.

Habitat

Lowland rain-forest; ± 1200 m.

Distribution

U2