Pseudocalyx saccatus Radlk.

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

Acanthaceae (part 1), Kaj Vollesen, Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2008

Morphology General Habit

Strong scandent shrub or woody twiner to 15 m or more; young stems terete or quadrangular, densely yellowish to reddish stellate-pubescent, glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petiole 0.5–2 cm long, stellate-pubescent; lamina elliptic to obovate, largest 7.5–13 × 4–9 cm, apex acute to acuminate or obtuse with a mucronate tip, base cuneate to subcordate, margin entire to crenate-dentate, above subglabrous to stellate-pubescent, densest along midrib, glabrescent, below similar or denser.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary or in 2–3-flowered axillary fascicles, often merging towards apex into pseudo-racemes up to 15(–20) cm long with leafy bracts gradually decreasing in size upwards; flowers erect in bud, pendulous when open and becoming erect in fruit; pedicels 0.5–2.7 cm long, densely yellowish to reddish stellate-pubescent, some hairs with a stalk up to 1 mm long and a “crown” of hairs; bracteoles broadly ovate, 1.3–1.8 × 1.1–1.7 cm, broadly rounded, densely orange to reddish stellate-pubescent outside, glabrous or with scattered stellate hairs inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx an undulate rim, ± 2 mm high, densely yellowish stellate-pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pink to reddish purple, paler on the inside, covered with a dense floccose-stellate yellowish indumentum which rubs off easily; tube 1.4–2 cm long, widening slightly upwards; lobes 5–7 × 4–8 mm, broadly ovate-reniform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers 7–8 mm long, with bulbous-based hairs and sessile glands along their whole length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disc slightly lobed, ± 1 mm high.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary ± 5 mm long, densely yellowish stellate-pubescent; style ± 1.5 cm long, glabrous; stigma with 2 equal lobes ± 1 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule broadly triangular in outline, acute, a beak not defined, 2.5–3 × 1.5–2 cm, when young densely floccose-stellate, glabrescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed dark grey to blackish, finely hairy with simple hairs when young, 6–8 mm in diameter.

Figures

Fig. 5.

Distribution

Range: Tanzania. Range: Madagascar Range: Congo-Kinshasa, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe; Madagascar Flora districts: T8

Ecology

Semideciduous lowland forest; 500–800 m

Note

Gillett (l.c.) records that the fibrous bark is used for rope making.