Dichapetalaceae
Dichapetalum

Dichapetalum barbosae Torre

First published in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 36: 68 (1962)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Tanzania to Mozambique. It is a climbing shrub or liana and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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 nearly so, usually with rather small dispersed lenticels; branchlets shortly appressed pubescent, often densely so when young, glabrescent, usually lenticellate when older.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules usually early caducous, narrowly triangular-subulate, (1–)2–3 mm. long, shortly appressed pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Petiole (2–)4–7(–11) mm. long, shortly appressed pubescent, glabrescent; blade coriaceous, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or ovate, rounded to obtuse or truncate-cordate and subequal at base, gradually tapering into an obtuse or truncate or sometimes acute tip, (5–)8–15(–18) × (2–)3–6(–9) cm., glabrous or on one or both surfaces sparsely shortly appressed pubescent on midrib and on the (6–)7–9(–12) pairs of main lateral nerves, soon glabrescent, when young sometimes sparsely pubescent on the entire upper surface, margins usually not or only slightly revolute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 3–5 times branched, tomentose; peduncle 2–5 mm. long; bracts and bracteoles minute, triangular, ± 0.5–1.5 mm. long; pedicel 1–2.5 mm. long, the upper part 0–0.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals erect or slightly spreading, occasionally some sepals reflexed, oblong, (3–)3.5–4.5(–5) × 1–2 mm., obtuse, rounded or acutish, both sides tomentose, more densely so outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals narrowly obovate-oblong in outline, (4–)4.5–5.5(–6) mm. long, split 1–1.5 mm., inside loosely long-pilose below split, outside more appressed pilose below split.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens as long as or slightly shorter than the petals, erect; filaments hairy like the petals but usually less densely so to subglabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Pistil 4.5–5.5(–6.5) mm. long, lanate; ovary 3-locular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits obovoid-ellipsoid or subglobose, usually lobed when more than 1-seeded, slightly laterally compressed, 13–20 mm. long, 9–14(–20) mm. in diameter, 1–2(–3)-seeded, densely tomentellous, in dried fruits slightly wrinkled and often obscurely muricate; endocarp inside with up to ± 3 mm. long, golden-brown, acicular minutely barbed hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ellipsoid, ± 6–12 mm. long, 4–8 mm. in diameter.
Habitat
Riverine forest and secondary woodland; 250–500 m.
Distribution
T8
[FTEA]

Dichapetalaceae, A. R. Torre. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Scandent shrub; branches and branchlets terete, pubescent; bark longitudinally striate, covered with small and numerous lenticels.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 5–12 × 2–5 cm., oblong-elliptic or oblong, papyraceous, glabrous on both surfaces, subacute or obtuse at the apex, subrounded or obtuse at the base; lateral nerves 5–6 pairs, slightly conspicuous above, prominent below; petiole c. 5 mm. long, pubescent or glabrescent; stipules c. 2 mm. long, subulate, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence cymose, short, axillary; peduncle 1–3 mm. long, free; pedicels c. 1 mm. long, articulated at the base of calyx; bracts small, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals c. 3 mm. long, oblong, tomentose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals c. 4 mm. long, lanceolate, pubescent, glabrous at the apex, 2-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens c. 4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary tomentose; style c. 3·5 mm. long, pubescent, shortly 3-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit c. 1·5 × 1 cm., subellipsoid, densely and shortly whitish-tomentose.
[FZ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179884/1593158

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Dichapetalaceae, A. R. Torre. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit
An erect or scandent shrub; young branches sparsely pubescent, later glabrous; bark longitudinally striate, lenticellate.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-lamina 7–15 × 3·5–6 cm., glabrous on both surfaces, chartaceous, oblong-elliptic, obtuse to acute at the apex, rounded at the base; lateral nerves 7–9 pairs, slightly conspicuous above, prominent below; petiole 5–10 mm. long and c. 2 mm. diam., sparsely pubescent, later glabrescent; stipules c. 2 mm. long, subulate, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a many-flowered axillary cyme, shortly pedunculate; peduncle 3–6 mm. long; pedicels c. 1 mm. long, articulated at the base of the calyx.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals c. 4 mm. long, oblong, tomentose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals c. 4 mm. long, with pubescent claw, glabrous at the apex, 2-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens c. 4 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary tomentose; style c. 4·5 mm. long, pubescent, apex glabrous, shortly 3-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit c. 2 cm. long, subglobose, densely and shortly whitish-tomentellous.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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 2026. 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