Didiereaceae

Calyptrotheca Gilg

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 24: 307 (1897)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is NE. & E. Tropical Africa.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Soft-wooded shrubs or small trees, often flowering without leaves; old stems hollow; all parts glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, axillary scales and/or hairs absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a terminal panicle, sometimes condensed into loose head; bracts scale-like
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels thicker near tip
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, ± free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens numerous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary superior, ovules 4–6; style exserted before anthesis, stigma ± truncate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a capsule, 3–6-valved, the valves separating from base to form 3–6-lobed cap
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1(–2) per capsule, globose or ovoid, with conspicuous ± fimbriate yellowish aril.
Distribution
A genus of two species restricted to eastern Africa, from S Ethiopia and Somalia to central Tanzania.
Note
The genus was originally assigned to the Capparaceae, but it is clearly a member of this family, fairly closely allied to Talinum.
[FSOM]

Portulacaceae, Sylvia M. Phillips. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Tall, soft-wooded, succulent shrubs; stems with smooth mealy bark
Morphology Leaves
Leaves fleshy, alternate on the young shoots, clustered on short side branchlets on older wood, often absent at flowering time
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a congested panicle, terminal or on axillary branchlets; flowers pedicellate, subtended by small, scale-like bracts
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals broadly ovate, deeply concave, rounded, firm with hyaline margins, persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals usually 5, free, broad, rounded, concave, membranous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens many in 2 whorls, filaments woolly below the middle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary superior, several ovules on a basal placenta, style with a small rounded swelling at its base, stigma simple.
Note
Collapsed petals, stamens and style shed together at maturity
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule dome-shaped, coriaceous, valvate, the valves opening from below and often curling outwards forming a cap
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds obovoid to subglobose, only 1(–2) ripening per capsule, black, smooth, glossy, a large, pale, verruculose aril enclosing the base.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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

  • 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