Thecacoris trichogyne Müll.Arg.

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

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

Morphology General Habit

A small, several-stemmed scrambling shrub or slender tree up to 6 m high; bark smooth, pale grey.

Morphology Twigs

Twigs green at first and shiny, later becoming brownish or purplish-grey.

Morphology General Shoots

Young shoots densely fulvous-pubescent.

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petioles 0.5–1 cm long, 1–3 mm thick.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf blades 2–21 × 0.5–8 cm, elliptic-oblanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or acuminate, mucronate, asymmetrically rounded-cuneate at the base, undulate on the margins, chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, sparingly pubescent along the margin and the midrib and lateral nerves beneath, otherwise glabrous, deep glossy green above, paler and duller beneath; lateral nerves in 6–12 pairs, impressed above, fairly prominent beneath, strongly brochidodromous, tertiary nerves prominently reticulate above and beneath.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules 0.5–1 cm long, lanceolate to setaceous, acute, pubescent, green, subpersistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Male spikes 0.5–4.5 cm long, amentiform, pendulous, shortly pedunculate; axis densely pubescent. Female racemes 6–17 cm long, extending to 25 cm in fruit.

sex Male

Male spikes 0.5–4.5 cm long, amentiform, pendulous, shortly pedunculate; axis densely pubescent. Male flowers: sepals 1.5 × 1 mm, ovate, subacute, pubescent towards the apex without, glabrous within, greenish; petals, when present, 0.5 mm long, subulate; disk glands 2-lobed, contiguous, apically setose; stamens 2 mm long, filaments uniformly slender, anthers 0.5 mm long; pistillode 0.5 mm high, cylindric, pubescent, 3-lobulate at the apex, lobules glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flowers: sepals 1.5 × 1 mm, ovate, subacute, pubescent towards the apex without, glabrous within, greenish; petals, when present, 0.5 mm long, subulate; disk glands 2-lobed, contiguous, apically setose; stamens 2 mm long, filaments uniformly slender, anthers 0.5 mm long; pistillode 0.5 mm high, cylindric, pubescent, 3-lobulate at the apex, lobules glabrous. Female flowers: pedicels 1–3 mm long, extending to up to 1.5 cm in fruit and becoming sharply decurved at the tip; sepals ± as in the male; petals, when present, 1 mm long, subulate, acute or linear, 2-lobed; disk 3 mm in diameter, glabrous; ovary 2.5 × 3 mm, 3-lobed to subglobose, densely fulvous-pubescent, grey-green; styles 1.5–2 mm long, sparingly pubescent, greenish, stigmas glabrous, yellowish.

sex Female

Female racemes 6–17 cm long, extending to 25 cm in fruit. Female flowers: pedicels 1–3 mm long, extending to up to 1.5 cm in fruit and becoming sharply decurved at the tip; sepals ± as in the male; petals, when present, 1 mm long, subulate, acute or linear, 2-lobed; disk 3 mm in diameter, glabrous; ovary 2.5 × 3 mm, 3-lobed to subglobose, densely fulvous-pubescent, grey-green; styles 1.5–2 mm long, sparingly pubescent, greenish, stigmas glabrous, yellowish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 6–7 × 8–11 mm, depressed, rounded-3-lobed, sparingly appressed-pubescent, pale grey-green, sometimes pinkish-tinged.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4–5 × 3–4 mm, ovoid-subglobose, smooth, shiny, dark green at first, later becoming dark brown; hilum and caruncle tawny-brownish.