Phyllanthaceae
Margaritaria

Margaritaria discoidea (Baill.) G.L.Webster

First published in J. Arnold Arbor. 48: 311 (1967)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Euphorbiaceae, A. Radcliffe-Smith. Flora Zambesiaca 9:4. 1996

Morphology General Habit
A many-stemmed, densely branched spreading to somewhat sarmentose deciduous shrub or tree up to 25 m high (rarely more) often with a flattened crown.
Morphology Bole
Bole up to 30 cm d.b.h.
Morphology General Bark
Bark grey or brownish, flaking in irregular strips.
Morphology Twigs
Twigs lenticellate.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petioles 1–9 mm long, terete, grooved or winged, glabrous to densely crisped-puberulous.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules 2–13 mm long, linear-lanceolate or oblong, acute or obtuse, entire, membranous, soon falling.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf blades 1–11 × 0.5–6 cm, obovate to elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse or rounded to acutely acuminate, rounded to cuneate at the base, chartaceous, glabrous above and beneath or else puberulous at least along the midrib beneath; pale green and dull or dark green and shiny (var. nitida) above, paler beneath; lateral nerves in 5–15 pairs, sometimes with 1–2 interstitials between each pair, scarcely prominent above, somewhat so beneath, tertiary nerves reticulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence bracts 2–3 mm long, ovate, chaffy, brownish or blackish, soon falling.
sex Male
Male flowers: pedicels 2–7 mm long, glabrous or sparingly pubescent; sepals 1–3 × 1–1.5 mm, unequal, concave, becoming reflexed, pale yellow-green; disk 0.5–2 mm in diameter, shallowly 4-lobed; stamens 2–3 mm long, anthers 0.5–1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers: pedicels 2–20 mm long, not or only slightly extending in fruit; sepals ± as in the male flowers, greenish; disk 1.5 mm in diameter, ± entire, thick; ovary 2 mm in diameter, glabrous or sparingly to evenly puberulous; styles 2–4 mm long, stylar column 0–2 mm high, stylar arms 2 mm long, erect, spreading or reflexed. Male flowers: pedicels 2–7 mm long, glabrous or sparingly pubescent; sepals 1–3 × 1–1.5 mm, unequal, concave, becoming reflexed, pale yellow-green; disk 0.5–2 mm in diameter, shallowly 4-lobed; stamens 2–3 mm long, anthers 0.5–1.5 mm long.
sex Female
Female flowers: pedicels 2–20 mm long, not or only slightly extending in fruit; sepals ± as in the male flowers, greenish; disk 1.5 mm in diameter, ± entire, thick; ovary 2 mm in diameter, glabrous or sparingly to evenly puberulous; styles 2–4 mm long, stylar column 0–2 mm high, stylar arms 2 mm long, erect, spreading or reflexed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits 5–7 mm long, 1–1.3 cm wide, subglobose to shallowly or deeply (2)3(4)-lobed, smooth or verrucose, often prominently nervose-reticulate, glabrous to sparingly puberulous, golden-brown when ripe.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 5 × 5 × 2.5 mm; exotesta fleshy and bright glossy metallic-blue or purplish-blue when fresh, drying papery and greyish-white; endotesta plano-convex, smooth.
[FZ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/146201960/208442685

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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

Morphology General Habit
A much-branched shrub 1–5 m. tall or tree up to 25 m. tall.
Morphology General Shoots
Young shoots glabrous, puberulous or evenly to densely fulvous-pubescent, later becoming glabrescent.
Morphology Twigs
Twigs greyish or brownish, lenticellate.
Morphology Branches
Branches usually pendulous.
Morphology General Bark
Bark grey or brown, lightly streaked, soft, thick, later flaking in long irregular strips.
Morphology Leaves
Petioles 1–5(–9) mm.  long, terete, grooved or winged, glabrous or evenly to densely crisped-puberulous; leaf-blade elliptic-lanceolate, elliptic-ovate, obovate-oblanceolate, obovate or suborbicular-obovate, (1–)2–8(–17) cm. long, (0.5–)1–4(–9.5) cm. wide, acutely acuminate, acute, subacute, obtuse or rounded at apex, cuneate, rounded-cuneate or rounded at base, thinly chartaceous, lateral nerves 6–10(–14) pairs, scarcely prominent above, somewhat so beneath, glabrous above and beneath, or else with the midrib puberulous beneath and otherwise glabrous, or sparingly puberulous with the midrib evenly pubescent beneath.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules linear-lanceolate or oblong, 2–5(–10) mm. long, acute or obtuse, entire, membranous, glabrous or almost so, readily deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Inflorescence-bracts perulate, ovate, 2–3 mm. long, drying blackish, soon caducous.
sex Male
Male flowers:pedicels up to 1 cm. long, glabrous or sparingly puberulous; sepals somewhat unequal, obovate-oblong, adaxially concave, (1–)2.5(–3) mm. long, glabrous or somewhat puberulous without, becoming reflexed; disc shallowly 4-lobed; stamens 3–4 mm. long; anthers (0.4–)0.8(–1.4) mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers:pedicels (0.15–)0.4–1(–1.8) cm. long, thickening distally, glabrous to evenly puberulous, extending or not in fruit; sepals ovate to suborbicular-ovate, 3 mm. long, glabrous or slightly puberulous without at the base; disc ± entire; ovary 2 mm. diameter, glabrous or sparingly to evenly puberulous; styles ± free and erect or suberect or else united for ± 1/2 their length into a perpendicular column (0.2–)1–2 mm. high, the free portions spreading or reflexed, 2(–3)-fid. Male flowers:pedicels up to 1 cm. long, glabrous or sparingly puberulous; sepals somewhat unequal, obovate-oblong, adaxially concave, (1–)2.5(–3) mm. long, glabrous or somewhat puberulous without, becoming reflexed; disc shallowly 4-lobed; stamens 3–4 mm. long; anthers (0.4–)0.8(–1.4) mm. long.
sex Female
Female flowers:pedicels (0.15–)0.4–1(–1.8) cm. long, thickening distally, glabrous to evenly puberulous, extending or not in fruit; sepals ovate to suborbicular-ovate, 3 mm. long, glabrous or slightly puberulous without at the base; disc ± entire; ovary 2 mm. diameter, glabrous or sparingly to evenly puberulous; styles ± free and erect or suberect or else united for ± 1/2 their length into a perpendicular column (0.2–)1–2 mm. high, the free portions spreading or reflexed, 2(–3)-fid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits subglobose or shallowly to very deeply (2–)3–4-lobed, 5–7 mm. long, 1–1.3 cm. wide, smooth or irregularly warty, often with a prominent reticulate nerve-network, glabrous or sparingly puberulous, golden-brown when mature.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds closely approximate, (2.5–)4–5 mm. long, (2–)3–4 mm. wide, ± smooth, metallic blue.
Figures
Fig. 6.
[FTEA]

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Euphorbiaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A large deciduous shrub or tree, to 100 ft. high
Ecology
In moister parts of the savannah regions and drier parts of the forest; especially on old farmlands
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers yellowish-green.
[FWTA]

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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