Rubiaceae

Mussaenda Burm. ex L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 177 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa, W. Indian Ocean, Tropical & Subtropical Asia to Pacific.

Descriptions

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

Distribution
A genus of c. 186 species distributed in tropical Africa, tropical and subtropical Asia, and the western Indian Ocean and Pacific islands. There are 30 species in the region including 27 endemics from New Guinea and one endemic from the Solomon Islands.
Morphology General Habit
Lianas or scrambling shrubs, rarely upright shrubs or trees to c. 6 m
Morphology General
Raphides absent
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules usually bifid, persistent or not
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite (rarely whorled)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences  terminal, thyrsoid, paniculate or cymose, few–many-flowered, small bracts present. Flowers bisexual (rarely unisexual and then plants dioecious), 5-merous; calyx lobes mostly small, one enlarged and petaloid in some flowers, usually bright white, cream or greenish, venation often prominent; corolla red, orange or yellow, sometimes white (rarely blue), tube salver-shaped, usually widening around anthers, throat usually densely hairy, lobes valvate and reduplicate in bud, spreading at anthesis; stamen filaments short, adnate to upper or middle of corolla tube, included; style included or exserted, stigma bifid; ovary 2-locular, many ovules per locule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits green to purple-black, fleshy (rarely capsular), berry-like, usually ellipsoid and with lenticels; seeds many, small.
Ecology
Mussaenda species usually occur at the edges of forests or scrub vegetation e.g. on river-banks, at roadsides and in clearings in lowland and montane vegetation.
Recognition
Most are lianescent. Usually 1 or 2 flowers in each inflorescence have the distinctive enlarged petaloid calyx lobe which may or may not remain in fruit, the fallen calyx may leave a circular scar on the fruit apex. The fruits are distinctively ellipsoid, usually with lenticels and there are many small seeds within. Mussaenda may be confused with the lianescent species of Coelospermum but the ovaries are never fused and the flowers are often brightly coloured in Mussaenda.
[TONG]

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs, scandent shrubs or lianas
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate; blades usually elliptic with an acute or acuminate apex, pubescent or less often glabrous; stipules entire to completely bilobed, persistent or caducous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually yellow to red or sometimes white, occasionally sweet-scented, isostylous or heterostylous, borne in terminal panicles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Colleters usually present between the calyx-lobes Calyx-tube oblong, turbinate or ovoid; lobes 5, usually subulate, linear, slighdy spathulate or sometimes short and dentate or rounded, persistent or caducous; frequently several lobes on each inflorescence develop into a stalked white, creamy yellow or sometimes red dilated lamina
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla-tube cylindrical, narrowly funnel-shaped or abruptly widened to accommodate the anthers, with flattened or fine hairs at the throat and between the anthers; limb 5-lobed, lobes reduplicate in bud, spreading at maturity, often with the centre portion connate, with short hairs and often a star of longer, coloured hairs above
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 5, with tips just level with the throat or inserted up to halfway down the tube, linear, connective very shortly acuminate at the apex, attached by very short filaments near the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2 (rarely –3–4)-locular; ovules numerous, inserted on fleshy placentas; style slender, sometimes divided into 2 arms; stigma included or occasionally exserted; lobes 2, ± oblong to fusiform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit fleshy, indehiscent, globose, ellipsoid or oblong, sometimes crowned by the persistent calyx-lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, pale brown to blackish, small, usually ± flattened, the surface reticulate.
[FTEA]

Rubiaceae, D.M.Bridson & B.Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:3. 2003

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs, scandent shrubs or lianes.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate, blades usually elliptic with an acute or acuminate apex, pubescent or less often glabrous.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules entire to completely bilobed, persistent or caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually yellow to red or sometimes white, occasionally sweet- scented, isostylous or heterostylous, borne in terminal panicles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube oblong, turbinate or ovoid; limb-tube small; lobes 5, usually subulate, linear, slightly spathulate or sometimes short and dentate or rounded, persistent or caducous; frequently several lobes on each inflorescence develop into a stalked white, creamy-yellow or sometimes red calycophyll (TAB. 73/A5).
Morphology General Colleters
Colleters usually present between the calyx lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white, yellow or red; tube cylindrical, narrowly funnel-shaped or abruptly widened to accommodate the anthers, with flattened or fine hairs at the throat and between the anthers; limb 5-lobed, lobes reduplicate in bud, spreading at maturity, often with the centre portion connate, with short hairs and often a star-shape of longer, coloured hairs above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 5, the tips just level with the throat or inserted up to halfway down the tube, linear, attached by very short filaments near the base; connective very shortly acuminate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 2 (rarely 3–4)-locular; ovules numerous, inserted on fleshy placentas; style slender, sometimes divided into 2 arms; stigma included or occasionally exserted; lobes 2, ± oblong to fusiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit fleshy, indehiscent, globose, ellipsoid or oblong, sometimes crowned by the persistent calyx lobes, often lenticellate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, pale brown to blackish, small, usually ± flattened, the surface reticulated.
[FZ]

Sources

  • 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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0