Mitriostigma axillare Hochst.

First published in Flora 25: 236 (1842)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mozambique to NE. Cape Prov. It is a shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Rubiaceae, D.M.Bridson & B.Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:3. 2003

Morphology General Habit
Small shrub or less often a tree, or rhozomatous subshrub in the Flara Zambesiaca area, 0.3–1.8(8) m tall; young stems mostly straw-coloured, glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 3–17 × 1–9 cm, elliptic, oblong-elliptic or ± ovate, acute at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, subcoriaceous, glabrous; petiole (2)6–15 mm long; stipules 5–10 mm long, narrowly triangular, produced into a long acumen.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary at alternate successive axils, up to 8-flowered; bracts/bracteoles resembling the stipules but smaller.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers strongly scented.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube 2.5 mm long, ± oblong; limb-tube pale, 1–2.5 mm long, the lobes 3–4 × 0.3 mm, narrowly triangular, minutely erose to distinctly ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla waxy-white, the lobes often pink-tinged; tube 12–17 mm long, c. 10 mm wide at the throat, funnel-shaped with a narrow cylindrical base, the lobes 0.7–1.3 × 5–7 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 0.8–2 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen presenter
Pollen presenter narrowly clavate, bilobed at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit bright orange when ripe, up to 1.5 × 1.3–1.5 cm, broadly ellipsoid to globose; stalk up to 8 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, 5 × 5 × 2 mm, compressed, ± round, reticulate-rugose.
[FZ]

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
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images