Amaranthaceae
Celosia

Celosia patentiloba C.C.Towns.

First published in Hooker's Icon. Pl. 38(2): 41 (1975)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tanzania. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Amaranthaceae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual herb up to ± 1.1 m., but generally much smaller, branched from the base.
Morphology Stem
Stems ridged and striate, slender, sparingly furnished with short multicellular hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Lower leaves subglabrous, deltoid-pandurate with broad, blunt lateral lobes at the base, the lamina to ± 6 × 3.5 cm., the petiole 1.5–2 cm.; upper leaves lanceolate-hastate, rapidly reducing above and more shortly stalked, more obviously furnished with multicellular hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal and axillary, simple or the terminal slightly branched at the base, of elongate thyrses up to ± 18 × 0.6 cm., formed of distant sessile clusters (reduced cymes) 4–6 mm. in diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts and bracteoles deltoid, acute, ± 1.5 mm., scarious with a percurrent yellowish midrib, usually ± ciliate below with multicellular hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth-segments elliptic-oblong, 2.5–2.75 mm., glabrous or furnished with a few multicellular hairs on the lower dorsal surface, white (pale straw-coloured when dry), 3–4(–5)-nerved with the nerves more prominent at the base, minutely denticulate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Free portion of filaments subequalling or slightly shorter than the sheath, sinuses without teeth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 8–9-ovulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas 2(–3), longer than the ± 0.5 mm. style.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ovoid, ± 2.5 mm., included.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ± 1.2 mm., black, shining, compressed, with convex hexagonal or rhomboid areolae centrally and feebly punctate reticulating furrows in the marginal half.
Habitat
In semi- or full shade; 665 m.{
Distribution
known only from the type gathering T8
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/157997/756253

Conservation
CR - critically endangered
[IUCN]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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