Euphorbiaceae
Tragiella

Tragiella natalensis (Sond.) Pax & K.Hoffm.

First published in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 147, IX: 105 (1919)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is South Sudan to S. Africa. It is a climber and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
A creeping or scandent, puberulous, pubescent and urticating perennial herb up to 3 m. high when supported, commonly shorter.
Morphology General Shoots
Young shoots villous.
Morphology Stem
Stems bright green, rigid.
Morphology Leaves
Petioles 0.5–5.5 cm. long, pubescent, hispid and setose; blades elliptic-ovate, ovate-lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, 4–11(–14) cm. long, 2–5.5(–7) cm. wide, acute or shortly acutely acuminate at the apex, rounded, truncate or shallowly cordate at the base, margin closely and sharply serrate or biserrate with the teeth patent, membranaceous, (3–)5(–7)-nerved from the base, lateral nerves 3–5 pairs, evenly to sparingly puberulous and pubescent and with urticating hairs along the midrib and nerves above and beneath, very dark green above, paler beneath.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules linear-lanceolate, 4–5 mm. long, acute, sparingly pubescent or hispid without, ± glabrous within.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 2–10 cm. long, slender, lax-flowered, with a peduncle 1.5–3 cm. long; axis puberulous, hispid and setose; ♂ bracts patent-reflexed, oblong-oblanceolate or subspathulate, 2–3 mm. long, entire or denticulate, evenly or sparingly pubescent or subglabrous; ♀ bracts rhombic-ovate to transversely rhombic-ovate, 5–6 mm. long, 3–8 mm. wide, serrate or denticulate, evenly or sparingly pubescent; ♀ bracteoles 2, linear-oblanceolate, 5–6 mm. long, entire, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers:pedicels 2–3 mm. long; calyx-lobes broadly ovate, 1 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, subacute or obtuse, pubescent without, glabrous within, pale yellow-green; stamens 0.8 mm. long, filaments brownish, anthers minute, yellow-orange; pistillode minute, depressed-hemispherical. Female flowers:pedicels 2 mm. long, stouter than those of ♂, densely pubescent; calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, accrescent to linear-lanceolate or linear, 2 mm. long, extending to 5(–10) mm. in fruit, acute, pinnately lobulate, with (5–)7–10 narrowly lanceolate to linear lobules on each side, and a small lanceolate terminal laminula, densely, evenly or sparingly pubescent without and within, with the lateral lobules densely beset with stinging hairs, membranous and greenish at first, later becoming ligneous and stramineous; ovary trilobate, 2 mm. diameter, densely adpressed-pubescent with rows of stinging hairs on the keels of the cocci, dark green; stylar column infundibuliform, 3 mm. high, adpressed pubescent, glabrous within, stigmas 3, short, sharply recurved, yellowish green.
sex Male
Male flowers:pedicels 2–3 mm. long; calyx-lobes broadly ovate, 1 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, subacute or obtuse, pubescent without, glabrous within, pale yellow-green; stamens 0.8 mm. long, filaments brownish, anthers minute, yellow-orange; pistillode minute, depressed-hemispherical.
sex Female
Female flowers:pedicels 2 mm. long, stouter than those of ♂, densely pubescent; calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, accrescent to linear-lanceolate or linear, 2 mm. long, extending to 5(–10) mm. in fruit, acute, pinnately lobulate, with (5–)7–10 narrowly lanceolate to linear lobules on each side, and a small lanceolate terminal laminula, densely, evenly or sparingly pubescent without and within, with the lateral lobules densely beset with stinging hairs, membranous and greenish at first, later becoming ligneous and stramineous; ovary trilobate, 2 mm. diameter, densely adpressed-pubescent with rows of stinging hairs on the keels of the cocci, dark green; stylar column infundibuliform, 3 mm. high, adpressed pubescent, glabrous within, stigmas 3, short, sharply recurved, yellowish green.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit deeply trilobate, 4 mm. deep, 6.5 mm. wide, densely to evenly hispid and setose, green, spotted with brown.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3 mm. diameter, pale greyish brown, streaked and mottled with dark reddish brown, hilum whitish.
Figures
Fig. 60.
Habitat
Forest edges, undergrowth, and associated bushland, riverine, lakesides often in disturbed places; 80–2300 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T6 U1 U3 U4
[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, A. Radcliffe-Smith. Flora Zambesiaca 9:4. 1996

Morphology General Habit
A twining or scrambling, urticating perennial herb, monoecious; stems up to 3 m long; indumentum a mixture of short soft hairs, longer stiffer hairs and stinging bristles.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules 4–7.5 mm long, linear-lanceolate, membranous, sparingly pubescent without, glabrous within, green.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petioles 0.5–8 cm long, indumentum similar to that of the stems.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf blades 3–14 × 1.5–8 cm, elliptic-ovate to oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, shortly acutely acuminate at the apex, closely and sharply patent serrate with rounded sinuses or sharply patent biserrate with rounded sinuses, truncate to cordate at the base, membranaceous, 5–7(9)-nerved from the base, sparingly to evenly puberulous and weakly hispid on the upper surface, evenly to densely pubescent beneath, and setose along the midrib and main nerves on both surfaces; lateral nerves in 3–5 pairs, not or scarcely prominent above or beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 2–5.5 cm long, the peduncle 1–3 cm long, ± laxly few-flowered; male bracts 2–3 mm long, patent-reflexed, oblanceolate-oblong to subspathulate, entire or subentire, pubescent; male bracteoles 1.5 mm long, linear-oblanceolate, very fugacious; female bracts 4–6 × 6–8 mm, rhombic-ovate to transversely ovate, serrate or dentate, pubescent; female bracteoles 2, 5 mm long, linear to linear-oblanceolate, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers: pedicels 2 mm long; buds subglobose; calyx tube constricted; calyx lobes 1 × 1–1.5 mm, broadly ovate, pubescent without, glabrous within, pale greenish-yellow; stamens less than 1 mm long; pistillode minute, depressed-hemispherical. Female flowers: pedicels 1 mm long, 2 mm long in fruit, densely pubescent; calyx lobes 6, 2 × 1 mm, accrescent to 8 × 3 mm, pinnatifid, with 11–21 lobules, the terminal lobule lanceolate, the lateral lobules subulate, ± equalling the width of the calyx-lobe rhachis, hispid and setose, greenish, the calyx-lobe rhachis narrowly loriform, sparingly pubescent without, glabrous within, yellowish green, becoming hardened and stramineous within; ovary 1.5–2 mm in diameter, 3-lobed, densely appressed-pubescent, setose on the keels; stylar column 3 mm high, infundibuliform, appressed-pubescent, stigmas short, granulate, recurved.
sex Male
Male flowers: pedicels 2 mm long; buds subglobose; calyx tube constricted; calyx lobes 1 × 1–1.5 mm, broadly ovate, pubescent without, glabrous within, pale greenish-yellow; stamens less than 1 mm long; pistillode minute, depressed-hemispherical.
sex Female
Female flowers: pedicels 1 mm long, 2 mm long in fruit, densely pubescent; calyx lobes 6, 2 × 1 mm, accrescent to 8 × 3 mm, pinnatifid, with 11–21 lobules, the terminal lobule lanceolate, the lateral lobules subulate, ± equalling the width of the calyx-lobe rhachis, hispid and setose, greenish, the calyx-lobe rhachis narrowly loriform, sparingly pubescent without, glabrous within, yellowish green, becoming hardened and stramineous within; ovary 1.5–2 mm in diameter, 3-lobed, densely appressed-pubescent, setose on the keels; stylar column 3 mm high, infundibuliform, appressed-pubescent, stigmas short, granulate, recurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 4.5 × 7 mm, deeply 3-lobed, smooth, evenly appressed-pubescent and hispid, setose on the keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 3 mm in diameter, globose, dark grey with whitish wavy lines, and spotted, flecked and mottled with dark purplish-brown.
[FZ]

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

  • 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/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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