Gisekia africana (Lour.) Kuntze

Molluginaceae, M. L. Gonçalves. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Prostrate to procumbent spreading glabrous herbs, annual or perennial with annual shoots, with several semi-succulent stems often tinged with red up to c. 50 cm. long.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina 5–81 × 1–23 mm., entire, ranging from linear to linear-oblong, oblong, elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, spathulate, obovate or cuneate, the apex retuse, obtuse, rounded or subacute, often apiculate, the margins flat or slightly revolute; petiole 0–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences sessile or pedunculate, often numerous, umbelliform to dichasial, often many-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, pinkish, scentless; pedicels up to c. 16 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth

Perianth-segments 5, 2–4 mm. long in fruit, herbaceous, obtuse or subacute, with red or white membranous margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens (8)10–15(20) with filaments slightly broadened below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels 5 in hermaphrodite flowers, 10–15 in female flowers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit blackish, densely covered with warts.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sessile or obscurely petiolate, petiole 0–5 mm; blade elliptic to oblanceolate or spathulate, 5–45 x 1–12 mm, base cuneate to tapered, tip retuse to rounded or subacute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary or terminal, umbel-like to laxly cymose, sessile or pedunculate, 3–20 flowered; pedicels 4–20 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 2–3 mm long in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 10–15 in male and bisexual flowers, filaments only slightly widened below

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels 5 in bisexual flowers, 10–15 in female flowers.

Distribution

S2, 3 widespread in southern Africa.

Ecology

Sea-level to 100 m.

Note

The Somali plant is var. africana, but the coastal forms from Kenya and Somalia have a distinctive facies, due to the consistently small leaves and long internodes. However, there does not seem to be an adequate basis for formal separation from the southern plants. Var. cymosa Adams. is restricted to southern Africa north to southern Tanzania and is recognised by the laxly cymose inflorescences with raceme-like ultimate branches. Var. pedunculata (Oliv.) Brenan, differing from var. cymosa only by the winged mericarps, is only known from the lectotype from N Mozambique.

Morphology General Habit

Herb, ± perennial; stems procumbent or prostrate, radiating from taproot, relatively little branched