Garcinia huillensis Welw. ex Oliv.

Guttiferae, N. K. B. Robson. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit

Evergreen shrub or tree, 1·4–15 m. high, erect, much branched, glabrous; branches dense or ± spreading, angular or grooved.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, coriaceous, petiolate; lamina 5–11 (13·5) × (2) 3–5 (7·5) cm., oblong or elliptic to oblanceolate, obtuse (rarely acute or rounded) at the apex, often with a rounded mucro or a short acumen, cuneate at the base, deep green above, paler below, purple-tinged when young, with numerous branched and anastomosing lateral veins prominent on both surfaces and forming an angle of 30°–60° with the midrib, and dark ± longitudinal glandular lines visible on the lower surface, but without any visible translucent glands; petiole 4–6 mm. long, channelled above, sometimes red; ligule inconspicuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence axillary, rarely terminal; flowers polygamous, 10–15 mm. in diam., single or in few-flowered, sessile or shortly pedunculate, biparous cymes or fascicles; pedicels 2–5 mm. long, pale green, ± quadrangular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 4, pale or yellowish green, ± unequal, the outer pair orbicular or semi-orbicular, sometimes very small, the inner pair larger, orbicular or broadly obovate, rounded at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 4, 5–8 mm. long, 2–3 times as long as the inner sepals, greenish to yellow, obovate, spreading in flower, rounded at the apex.

sex Male

Male flowers with 4 stamen-fascicles, each with 7–8 stamens with filaments completely united and anthers sessile, oblong, curved, not septate; ovary-vestige orange, c. 2 mm. in diam.

sex Female

Female flowers with a pale green, globular or flask-shaped, 4-locular ovary, surmounted by a broad peltate sticky orange-yellow ± 4-lobed stigma.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Bisexual flowers like female ones, but with 4 slender stamens, or 4 stamen-fascicles each of 2 stamens. Female flowers with a pale green, globular or flask-shaped, 4-locular ovary, surmounted by a broad peltate sticky orange-yellow ± 4-lobed stigma. Male flowers with 4 stamen-fascicles, each with 7–8 stamens with filaments completely united and anthers sessile, oblong, curved, not septate; ovary-vestige orange, c. 2 mm. in diam.

sex Hermaphrodite

Bisexual flowers like female ones, but with 4 slender stamens, or 4 stamen-fascicles each of 2 stamens.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Berry up to c. 20–25 mm. in diam., globular, yellow or orange when ripe, 1–3-seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds curved, ± cylindric, c. 10 mm. long.