Hura L.

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit

Large monoecious trees with a simple (localized) indumentum

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, long-petiolate, stipulate, simple, entire, subentire or denticulate, penninerved, with a pair of glands at the apex of the petiole

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences subterminal or pseudaxillary, solitary, bisexual, the ♂ portion spicate, strobiliform at first, pedunculate, with a large solitary, stoutly pedicellate ♀ flower at the base; ♂ bracts 1-flowered, closed at first and pustuliform, later becoming ruptured as the flowers develop

sex Male

Male flowers subsessile; calyx open in bud, cupuliform, truncate, denticulate; petals 0; disc 0; stamens 8–many, filaments continuous with the produced connectives and connate into a stout clavate truncated column; anthers in 2 or more whorls around the upper part of the column, discrete, extrorse, thecae parallel, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode 0

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flower: calyx cupular, truncate, entire, coriaceous, only loosely enveloping the ovary; petals 0; disc 0; ovary 5–20-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles 5–20, connate into a tall fleshy column, the arms free at the apex, radiately divergent, undivided Male flowers subsessile; calyx open in bud, cupuliform, truncate, denticulate; petals 0; disc 0; stamens 8–many, filaments continuous with the produced connectives and connate into a stout clavate truncated column; anthers in 2 or more whorls around the upper part of the column, discrete, extrorse, thecae parallel, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode 0

sex Female

Female flower: calyx cupular, truncate, entire, coriaceous, only loosely enveloping the ovary; petals 0; disc 0; ovary 5–20-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles 5–20, connate into a tall fleshy column, the arms free at the apex, radiately divergent, undivided

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit large, 5–20-lobed, explosively dehiscing into 5–20 bivalved segmentiform cocci; exocarp fibrous; endocarp thick, ligneous; columella persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds laterally strongly compressed, ecarunculate; testa crustaceous, smooth; albumen fleshy; cotyledons suborbicular, flat.