Hypericaceae
Psorospermum

Psorospermum mechowii Engl.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 55: 386 (1919)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Angola to W. Zambia. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: low confidence
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrublet or perennial herb 15–40 cm. high.
Morphology Stem
Stems branched or almost unbranched, ascending or erect, caespitose, arising from a polycephalous rootstock, quadrangular at first (sometimes ± flattened), eventually terete, glabrous except when very young.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves chartaceous or ± coriaceous, opposite or sometimes sub-opposite, petiolate; lamina (2·5) 3–7·5 × 0·6–3·6 cm., broadly elliptic to oblong or oblanceolate, acute or acuminate at the apex, cuneate or attenuate at the base (never rounded), completely glabrous except when very young, dark or olive green and ± glossy above, paler green below (never whitish), with tertiary venation usually prominent, and with dark glandular dots ± densely scattered over the lower surface as well as at the apex and margin; petiole (2) 3–4 (6) mm. long, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence terminating main or lateral shoots, cymose, appearing paniculate, few- to many-flowered, pedunculate, with branches quadrangular, glabrescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 2–4 mm. long, elliptic to lanceolate, glabrescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals up to 6 mm. long, elliptic to oblanceolate, white, sometimes tinged with pink or green, streaked with dark purple-red.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Staminodes
Fasciclodes glabrous, spathulate, apiculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens c. 8 per fascicle; filaments glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berry 6–10 mm. in diam., dark red or black.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds c. 3 mm. long.
[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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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