Limeaceae
Limeum

Limeum praetermissum C.Jeffrey

First published in Kew Bull. 14: 235 (1960)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Ethiopia to N. Kenya. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb, all parts viscid due to gland-tipped hairs
Morphology Stem
Stems ± prostrate, becoming ± woody with smooth white bark
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate; petiole 2–4 mm long, ± winged near base; blade elliptic to obovate or oblanceolate, 15–26 x 7–12 mm, base attenuate into petiole, tip rounded to retuse
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers 5-merous Inflorescence a lax leaf-opposed 15–35-flowered cyme; peduncle up to 6.6 cm long; pedicels 2–6 mm long; bracts and bracteoles inconspicuous, linear-lanceolate, tip acuminate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals ovate, 5–6 mm long, green with white membranous margin, tip with subapical awn
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, filaments widened towards base; staminodes absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Mericarps c. 3 mm diam., without wings, rounded outer/upper surface smooth except near margin, bases obscurely auricled.
Distribution
C2; S2, 3; Ethiopia (Ogaden), Kenya
Ecology
Altitude range 95–320 m.
[FSOM]

Aïzoaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1961

Morphology General Habit
A viscid glandular-hairy perennial herb.
Morphology Stem
Stem more or less prostrate, becoming when older thickened and subwoody with a smooth white bark, 40 cm. long.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, petiolate. Blade viscid, obovate, elliptic or oblanceolate, 15–26 mm. long, 7–12 mm. broad, entire, retuse or rounded at the apex, narrowed into the petiole below.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petiole 2–4 mm. long, somewhat membranous-winged towards the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences leaf-opposed, laxly branched, 15–35-flowered, on peduncles 3.6–6.6 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 2–6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts and bracteoles small, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, membranously margined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers greenish-white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, herbaceous, green with white membranous margins, ovate, 5–6 mm. long, with a prominent often recurved acumen.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Staminodes
Staminodes 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, free, filaments broadly dilated below.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary obscurely 2-lobed, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Mericarps about 3 mm. in diameter, wingless, smooth on the outer (upper) rounded surface except for a series of short grooves and ridges submarginal and perpendicular to the commissural faces, at the base obscurely 2-auricled laterally, auricles smooth.
Habitat
Open places in overgrazed Commiphora scrub, 240 m.
Distribution
not known elsewhere K1
[FTEA]

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: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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

    • '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/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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 2025. 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