Rubiaceae

Virectaria Bremek.

First published in Verh. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch., Afd. Natuurk., Sect. 2, 48(2): 21 (1952)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubby herbs with erect or procumbent glabrescent to stiffly hairy stems from a fibrous rootstock
Morphology Leaves
Leaves paired; stipules small, entire, deltoid, or fimbriated with linear setae from a short base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, hermaphrodite, never dimorphic, in few–many-flowered cymose clusters at the apices of the main shoots
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube ovoid or urceolate, often bristly hairy; lobes 5–6, equal or unequal, spathulate, filiform or lanceolate with small glands between each pair
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla-tube filiform to narrowly infundibuliform; lobes 4–6(–7), deltoid to lanceolate, suberect; throat practically glabrous save for an obscure ring of hairs some distance below the orifice
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4–6, much exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary bilocular; ovules attached to placentas which are affixed to the central partition; style much exserted, often overtopping the corolla-lobes; stigma subcapitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disc cylindrical or consisting of two separate cones, Capsule very characteristic, subglobose, splitting in a plane at right-angles to the central partition into 2 valves one of which usually falls away entirely but the other remains attached to the rachis by means of a woody pedicle
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds small, brownish, subglobose, reticulately pitted.
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubby herbs with erect or procumbent glabrescent to stiffly hairy stems from a fibrous rootstock.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves paired.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules small, limbs free, entire, deltoid, or fimbriated with linear setae from a short base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, hermaphrodite, never dimorphic, in few- to many-flowered cymose clusters at the apices of the main shoots.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube ovoid or urceolate, often bristly hairy; limb-tube absent; lobes 5–6, equal or unequal, spathulate, filiform or lanceolate with small glands between each pair.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla tube filiform to narrowly infundibuliform, lobes 4–6(7), deltoid to lanceolate, suberect; throat practically glabrous except for an obscure ring of hairs some distance below the orifice.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4–6, much exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary bilocular; ovules attached to placentas which are affixed to the septum; style much exserted, often overtopping the corolla lobes; stigma subcapitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk cylindrical or consisting of two separate cones.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule very characteristic, subglobose, splitting in a plane at right angles to the central partition into 2 valves one of which often falls away entirely but the other remains attached to the rhachis by means of a woody pedicel.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds small, brownish, subglobose, reticulately pitted.
[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

    • '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.

  • 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