Keetia E.Phillips

Rubiaceae, D. Bridson. Flora Zambesiaca 5:2. 1998

Morphology General Habit

Climbers or scandent shrubs; stems glabrous or frequently pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves paired, petiolate, not restricted to new growth at apex of branches; blades chartaceous or occasionally coriaceous; leaves subtending lateral branches often smaller and broader than main leaves; stipules interpetiolar, lanceolate to ovate or triangular at the base and acuminate to linear above, never keeled, never with white silky hairs inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 4–6-merous, borne in pedunculate usually distinctly branched cymes; bracts and bracteoles often conspicuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube ellipsoid to ovoid; limb equalling or sometimes exceeding the tube in length, repand to dentate or less often lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white, cream or yellow; tube cylindrical, usually ± equal to lobes, sometimes shorter or rarely longer, typically with a ring of deflexed hairs inside; lobes reflexed, often thickened at apex but never apiculate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens set at the throat of the corolla; filaments moderately well-developed; anthers fully or partly exserted but usually not reflexed, narrowly ovate or oblong.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Style long slender, ± twice as long as the corolla tube; pollen presenter cylindrical, distinctly longer than wide, hollow to below the apex, bifid at apex when mature.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk puberulous to pubescent or infrequently glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2-locular, each loculus containing 1 ovule attached to upper third of the septum.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a 2-seeded drupe, slightly to strongly bilobed, somewhat laterally flattened, slightly to strongly indented at apex; pyrenes woody or less often cartilaginous, usually ± ovoid with the ventral face flattened, somewhat bullate; point of attachment on the ventral face above centre or near apex; lid-like area completely or incompletely defined, either lying along ventral face above point of attachment, or across the apex, provided with a central crest, eventually dehiscent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ± ovoid, shaped at apex according to position of lid-like area in pyrene, convoluted; endosperm streaked with tanniniferous areas (resembling a ruminate endosperm, except that the testa is never vaginated) occasionally with tannin granules ± evenly dispersed or less often absent; testa thin, very finely reticulate; embryo straight with radicle erect and small cotyledons lying parallel to ventral face of the seed.