Ehretia P.Browne

Boraginaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs with alternate, petiolate, simple, entire or toothed leaves

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers mostly small, hermaphrodite or polygamous, sessile or pedicellate in much branched axillary or terminal cymose inflorescences, the individual cymules mostly scorpioid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx mostly small, campanulate, deeply divided into 4–5 imbricate lobes, ciliate but glabrous inside; tube short

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white, yellowish or blue, campanulate or subrotate, usually small, the tube very short or longer than the lobes; lobes (4–)5(–7), oblong, imbricate, spreading or reflexed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens inserted at or near the throat, usually exserted; anthers oblong

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary subglobose with either 2, 2-ovuled locules or 4, 1-ovuled locules; style terminal, scarcely to deeply divided into 2 branches terminated by capitate stigmas

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits subglobose, fleshy, breaking up at maturity into 2, 2-locular mericarps or 4, 1-locular mericarps

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4 or less by abortion.

Boraginaceae, E. S. Martins (Trichodesma by R. K. Brummit). Flora Zambesiaca 7:4. 1990

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, usually petiolate, simple, entire, dentate, crenate or serrate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences paniculate or corymbose, usually terminal.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous, actinomorphic, subsessile or pedicellate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5-lobed, deeply divided, lobes imbricate in bud.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tube cylindrical to widely funnel-shaped; lobes 5(6), imbricate, oblong, spreading or reflexed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5(6), inserted at the corolla-throat, exserted; anthers oblong or sagittate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 2- or 4-locular; style terminal, ± deeply divided into 2 branches, topped by capitate or umbilicate stigmas.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupaceous, subglobose; endocarp of usually 4, 1-seeded pyrenes.

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

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, entire or toothed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers mostly bisexual, regular, usually 5-merous, in much branched axillary or terminal cymose inflorescences

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx deeply divided with imbricate lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla with cylindrical to campanulate tube and spreading or reflexed lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens usually exserted, attached in or near the throat of the corolla; anthers oblong

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2–4-celled; style terminal, ± deeply divided into 2 branches; stigmas capitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit fleshy, the endocarp breaking up at maturity into 2 2-celled stones, 4 1-celled stones or rarely undivided.

Distribution

Genus of some 60 species, mostly in the Old World tropics, but a few from tropical America and the West Indies.

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution

A genus of 50 species with a worldwide tropical distribution and the greatest species diversity in east Africa; five species in New Guinea, absent from the Solomon Islands.

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs and trees to 30 m tall

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, petiolate, ellipsoid or obovate, margins entire, crenate or serrate, venation pinnate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal or axillary, corymbose, thyrsoid or paniculate, few–many-flowered

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 5-merous, bisexual; calyx barely fused at the base; corolla white or pale yellow, tube cylindrical or campanulate, lobes spreading to recurved; stamens exserted, filaments filiform, anthers oblong, rarely sagittate; ovary superior, style terminal, forked, divided for less than half its length, stigmas elongate or capitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a subglobose drupe, ripening yellow or orange, breaking up into two 2-seeded pyrenes or four 1-seeded pyrenes, or a subglobose, indehiscent drupe with 1–4 seeds (E. microphylla).

Ecology

Occurring in monsoon savannah, secondary habitats and regrowth; from sea level to 50 m elevation.

Recognition

Ehretia can be distinguished from Cordia by the once-forked style (Cordia has a twice-forked style) and the fruit which breaks up into at least 2 pyrenes (Cordia fruits do not usually break up and have a single pyrene). Ehretia microphylla has an undivided endocarp, which in most species of Ehretia breaks into pyrenes; in addition, the species has rough, hispid leaves with serrate margins having the teeth at the leaf apex.