Schrebera alata (Hochst.) Welw.

Oleaceae, F. K. Kupicha. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit

A tree 4–15 m. tall, or sometimes a small bush; trunk slightly fluted; slash cream, becoming darker with exposure; bark pale brown or grey, fairly smooth, with short longitudinal fissures.

Morphology Branches

Young branches glabrous or thinly to densely tomentose, older twigs with very conspicuous lenticels.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves imparipinnate with 5 (7) leaflets, the terminal leaflet and distal pair inserted together; leaf axis distinctly articulated at leaflet insertion; petiole and rhachis ± equal in length (in leaves with 5 leaflets).

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Total leaf length 6–26 cm.; terminal leaflet 3–14 x 1·2–5·5 cm., laterals 2–12 x 1–5 cm.; leaflets elliptic or obovate, rounded to acuminate at apex; terminal leaflet tapered at base, laterals acute or tapered.

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petiole and rhachis often winged, glabrous or pubescent; lamina glabrous above, glabrous or sparsely pilose below especially on main veins.

Morphology Leaves Leaf veins

Tertiary vein reticulation conspicuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a terminal several–to many–flowered cyme 4–9 cm. long with deciduous bracts and bracteoles and glabrous to tomentose branches; pedicels up to 2 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white to pink, sweet–scented, heterostylous with “pin” and “thrum” forms.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2–4 mm. long, minutely puberulous to pubescent, truncate or very unevenly dentate at apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tube 8–12 mm. long in “pin” flowers, 11–16 mm. in “thrum” flowers, usually pilose inside; lobes (5) 6–7, 3–7 x 2–6 mm., unevenly obovate with apex usually bilobed, each with a triangular patch of brownish dilated hairs extending from the corolla mouth up to 1/2 the length of the petal.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens inserted near the top of the corolla tube (“pin” flower) or at the mouth (“thrum”); anthers 1·25–1·5 (2) mm. long, on filaments up to 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style correspondingly of 2 lengths, either exserted from or slightly shorter than corolla tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a woody bivalved capsule 2·5–4·5 cm. long, brown, ± clavate, with wrinkled surface, splitting open at maturity to reveal two locules divided by a papery dissepiment.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4 per locule, c. 2 cm. long, pendulous.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/146221916/146221918

Conservation

LC - least concern

Oleaceae, W. B. Turrill. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1952

Morphology General Habit

A shrub or tree, with the youngest branches grey- or yellow-pubescent, later glabrescent and lenticellate.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves compound, with a pubescent rhachis; leaflets chartaceous, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or slightly obovately elliptic, attentuated at each end, 4–8 cm. long, 1.9–3 cm. broad, margin entire, with a short pubescence on both surfaces, venation closely reticulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences compactly cymose, about 10 cm. long, bracteolate, densely greyish-tomentose, many-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx campanulate, densely greyish-tomentose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla glabrous; tube 0.8–1 cm. long.

Habitat

Wooded grasslands; 1700 m.

Distribution

T3 T7 endemic in Tanganyika

Oleaceae, W. B. Turrill. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1952

Morphology General Habit

A much-branched shrub up to 3 m. tall, with the younger branches very densely and shortly puberulous, later glabrescent with numerous rather prominent lenticels.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnate, opposite, usually 8–10.5 cm. long; leaflets 5, obovate to narrowly elliptic; rounded or more or less acute, cuneate at the base, usually 2.1–5 cm. long and 1–2.5 cm. broad, midrib and veins conspicuous especially on the lower surface, with 5–7 main lateral veins, glabrous or slightly puberulous at the very base; petiole and rhachis winged.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal to ultimate branches, short and compact, 4–6-flowered; peduncle 1–1.5 cm. long, very densely puberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx shortly cylindrical, 6 mm. long, irregularly acutely dentate at the margin, slightly puberulous or nearly glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla greenish-yellow, with a cylindrical tube 7 mm. long.

Habitat

In mixed bushland; 2250 m.

Distribution

T2 endemic on Mt. Hanang.

Oleaceae, W. B. Turrill. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1952

Morphology General Habit

Shrub, 3–4 m. tall, glabrous (except inflorescence branches and calyx), with the youngest branches ochraceous yellow later becoming greyish-yellow.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves compound with two pairs of leaflets and an odd terminal leaflet; leaflets narrowly elliptic to slightly obovately lanceolate, attenuately subacute or rounded at apex, gradually cuneate to long cuneate at base, 1.5–4.2 cm. long, 1–1.8 cm. broad, margin entire, venation closely reticulate but scarcely prominent, chartaceous or subcoriaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences cymose, branched, about 8 cm. long, bracteolate, puberulous, many-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx campanulate, puberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla glabrous, white with brown-violet throat; tube 1 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit pear-shaped, 2 cm. long, 1 cm. diameter, with woody valves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (including the unilateral wing) oblong-elliptic, 1.6 cm. long, 6 mm. broad.

Habitat

Uncertain; 1000 m.

Distribution

T6 endemic on Uluguru Mts.

Oleaceae, W. B. Turrill. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1952

Morphology General Habit

Deciduous small to medium-sized tree, 4.5–6 m. tall (? sometimes taller) young branches densely and shortly pubescent or puberulous, later more or less glabrescent and darker in colour, with numerous rather prominent lenticels.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves compound with 2 pairs (more rarely 1 pair) of leaflets and an odd terminal leaflet, more or less densely and shortly pubescent especially on the lower surface of the leaflets; rhachis most often narrowly winged and the petiole auriculate at the base; leaflets oblanceolate-obovate to elliptic, rounded or obtuse sometimes almost shortly cuspidate, cuneate at base, 2.5–10 cm. long, 0.6–4.3 cm. broad, the terminal usually the largest, margin entire and flat, venation closely reticulate and subprominent, subcoriaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal to short branches, cymosely branched, the final branches fairly compact, 4–5 cm. long, very densely shortly pubescent, few- to many-flowered.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx turbinate-campanulate, 3 mm. long, densely puberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla externally glabrous; tube 0.8–1.0 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit obovoid-oblong, 2.2–3 cm. long, 1–1.4 cm. in diameter, with stiffly coriaceous to somewhat woody valves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds (including the terminal and partly unilateral wing) oblong to narrowly oblanceolate, 1.8–2.6 cm. long, 6–8 mm. broad.

Habitat

Brachystegia woodland; 1500 m.

Distribution

T5