Pentas Benth.

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:1. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Mostly perennial (rarely biennial) herbs or shrubs, with erect or straggling stems from a fibrous or woody rootstock.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves paired or in whorls of 3–5; stipules divided into 2-many filiform colleter-tipped segments.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube ovoid or globose, sometimes with a free annular part at the top; lobes usually 5, either equal or unequal, 1–3 being larger than the others or sometimes foliaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tube shortly cylindrical to narrowly tubular, 2–40 times as long as wide, hairy in the throat; lobes ovate or oblong.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

In monomorphic flowers stamens enclosed in an abrupt apical dilation of the tube and style exserted; in dimorphic flowers the tube is gradually dilated at the apex in short-styled flowers and abruptly dilated in long-styled flowers; in rare cases, trimorphism is shown and the third form has both stamens and style included in the tube. Flowers small to very large, hermaphrodite, mono-, di- or tri-morphic, mostly in much-branched terminal complicated cymose inflorescences, the individual branches often becoming spicate in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary bilocular, with numerous ovules in each attached to placentas affixed to the septum.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule obtriangular or ovoid, ribbed, beaked, opening at the apex, the beak splitting into 4 valves; capsule sometimes separating into 2 cocci.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds minute, brownish, irregularly globose or tetrahedral, with reticulate testa.

Note

Rhaphides are plentiful in most of the tissues.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Herbs, subshrubs or shrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3–5; stipules ± sheathing, fimbriate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowers usually heterostylous, in terminal, usually branched cymose inflorescences

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-lobes usually 5, equal or unequal with 1–3 lobes larger than the others and sometimes leaf-like

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla shortly cylindrical to long tubular, hairy at throat; lobes ovate or oblong, usually 5, valvate in bud

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2-celled, with numerous ovules; style with 2 stigma-lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule beaked, opening at the apex into 4 valves or sometimes splitting into 2 parts

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds minute, reticulate.