Dichapetalum arenarium Breteler

Dichapetalaceae, F.J. Breteler (Agricultural University, Wageningen). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Liana, lianescent shrub or shrub.

Morphology Branches

Branches glabrous or glabrescent, with minute dispersed lenticels; branchlets densely tomentose, usually glabrescent and lenticellate with age.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules early caducous, narrowly triangular, 1–4 mm. long, tomentose.

Morphology Leaves

Petiole (3–)4–6(–10) mm. long, tomentose; blade coriaceous, elliptic, ovate-elliptic or ovate, (3–)6–11(–15) × (2–)3–5(–8) cm., base equal or slightly unequal, rarely strongly unequal, cuneate, rounded, or sometimes obtuse, gradually tapering into a rounded, subacute, or acuminate tip, the acumen up to ± 1 cm. long; midrib and the (4–)5–7(–8) pairs of lateral nerves inconspicuous above, prominent beneath, tertiary venation reticulate, often prominent on both surfaces, shortly pubescent on both surfaces, often densely so when young, glabrescent above, beneath never completely glabrous; margin often strongly revolute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 3–5 times branched, tomentose; peduncle (4–)6–11(–13) mm. long; bracts and bracteoles minute, triangular, up to ± 1 mm. long; pedicel up to 2.5 mm. long or flowers sessile to subsessile; upper part of pedicel 0(–0.5) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals erect, spreading or reflexed, obovate-oblong, 2.5–3(–3.5) × 1–1.5 mm., obtuse to rounded, tomentose on both sides, more densely so outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals erect, narrowly oblong-obovate or spathulate in outline, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, split up to 1 mm. ± appressed pilose-tomentose outside below split, inside more loosely and often more densely pilose below split.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 2.5–3.5 mm. long, often very slightly shorter than the petals; filaments hairy like the petals, more sparsely so or subglabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Pistil 2.5–3.5(–4) mm. long, lanate, the ovary densely so; ovary 3-locular, the lobes less than 1 mm. long at the top.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits subellipsoid, often slightly curved and laterally slightly compressed, 14–20 mm. long, ± 9–15 mm. in diameter, 1–3-seeded, tuberculate, densely tomentellous; endocarp inside with a dense indumentum of up to 2.5 mm. long, often somewhat curly, rather weak hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed subellipsoid, 8–14 mm. long, up to 7 mm. in diameter.

Habitat

Coastal forest and bushland as far as reported, on sandy soils; 0–450 m.

Distribution

K7 T3 T6 Z not known elsewhere