Olax gambecola Baill.

Olacaceae, J. G. Garcia. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Shrub up to about 1·5 m. tall, glabrous.

Morphology Stem

Stems and branches deep green, very narrowly 4-winged, minutely papillose-scabridulous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves subsessile, dark green; lamina c. 10 × 4 cm., papyraceous, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at the apex (acumen 1–2 cm. long, mucronulate), cuneate to rounded at the base; midrib impressed above, prominent below; lateral nerves 4–7 pairs, impressed or very slightly raised above, prominulous below; venation laxly reticulate, slightly raised on both surfaces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers (immature) in short axillary single or fasciculate racemes; rhachis up to 2 cm. long, glabrous; bracts c. 2·5 × 1 mm., lanceolate, green with the margin hyaline, articulated at the base, soon caducous; pedicels short; buds obovoid, greenish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx cupuliform, entire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 3; staminodes 5.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit up to 9 mm. in diam., red when ripe, drupaceous, globose; stone c. 5 mm. in diam., spheroid, smooth.

Olacaceae, G. Ll. Lucas. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs 1–3 m. high; young branches bright green, angular.

Morphology Leaves

Petiole short, 1–2 mm. long; leaf-blade dark green, papery, glabrous, broadly elliptic to lanceolate, 6–15 cm. long, 3–6 cm. wide, acuminate, cuneate to rounded at the base; midrib impressed above, prominent beneath; secondary veins 5–7 pairs, prominent beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence axillary in single or fasciculate racemes; peduncle angular, 1–5 cm. long; bracts lanceolate-ovate, 1.5–5 mm. long, 0.8–1 mm. wide, greenish with a clear margin, caducous; buds obovoid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white to yellowish-cream.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx cupuliform, minute, entire, not accrescent but persistent in fruit, ± 2 mm. in diameter.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5, linear-spathulate, 2.5–4 mm. long, recurved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Fertile stamens 3; staminodes 5, opposite and adnate to the petals; anther-thecae almost filamentous, longer than fertile anthers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary conical, 3-partite at base; style up to 2.5 cm. long; stigma capitate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a globose drupe, up to 1 cm. in diameter, reddish when ripe, bearing the remains of a persistent style and calyx.

Figures

Fig. 3/5–8, p. 8.

Habitat

Rain-forest and riverine forest; 1140–1350 m.

Distribution

T6 U3 U4 from Uganda westwards into West Africa and as far south as Angola. The populations from Tanganyika seem to be the relics of an earlier more widespread distribution

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