Sericanthe Robbr.

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs, small trees or sometimes suffrutescent plants.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves often deciduous and dimorphic (blades at start of new season’s growth smaller and broader than those on the mature stem, TAB. 92/A), petiolate; domatia mostly present in the nerve axils as small tufts of hairs without an apparent excavation*; bacterial nodules often present on the underside of the leaf blade, situated either along the midrib and down the petiole (or outside the Flora Zambesiaca area, scattered); stipules sheathing at least when young, each limb with silky hairs and colleters inside and topped by an awn.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary (very rarely apparently terminal on short shoots), 1-flowered or sometimes more; bract and bracteoles similar, cupular, arranged in a series of 2–4, progressively larger towards the top, each cupule with a pair of short and a pair of longer awns (TAB. 92/B6).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers (5)7–8(9)-merous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx limb ellipsoid in bud, closed (outside the Flora Zambesiaca area, open) and completely covering the young corolla, with the tip obtuse to apiculate, splitting into two or more lobes at anthesis.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white, salver-shaped, usually (always in the Flora Zambesiaca area) with silky indumentum outside; lobes contorted to the left in bud, spreading when mature.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens inserted at the throat; anthers basifixed, erect, with the connective broadly flattened.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk annular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 2-locular, each locule with 1 pendulous placenta attached to the septum; placenta with (1)2 impressed or pendulous ovules; style slender, hairy or glabrous; pollen presenter 2-lobed, just included or shortly exserted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit mostly orange, sometimes red, nearly spherical, at first crowned by the persistent calyx limb, but this often withers as the fruit ripens, bilocular; endocarp papery, shiny inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds either 1 per chamber and hemispherical or 2 per chamber and quarter- spherical; seed coat brown and striate; hilar scar pale, apical-adaxial, ± elliptic to circular, total area ± half the size of the seed; endosperm horny, entire; embryo straight, half the diameter of the seed in length; cotyledons subcircular, in the centre of the seed, equalling the laterally oriented radicle.