Rubiaceae
Pavetta

Pavetta johnstonii Bremek.

First published in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 37: 147 (1934)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit
?Shrub or small tree 2–5 m. tall; young branches pubescent; older branches gnarled or smooth with buff, dull bark.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves confined to the apices of the branches; blades drying brownish, narrowly obovate to obovate, 8–17 cm. long, 3.2–8 cm. wide, apex rounded or sometimes acute, base cuneate, sparsely pubescent above, pubescent beneath with dense longer hairs on the nerves; bacterial nodules small, dot-shaped, few to several, scattered; petiole 1–10 mm. long, densely pubescent; stipules truncate to triangular, 4–8 mm. long, acuminate to long acuminate, pubescent or glabrous above and glabrescent at base outside, with silky hairs inside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Corymbs borne on leafless branches 0–11 cm. long arising shortly or immediately below the leafing apices of the main stems on both sides or sometimes only one, compact to very compact, 1.5–2.5 cm. across; primary inflorescence-branches up to 2 mm. long, pubescent; secondary branches very reduced; pedicels 2–5 mm. long, pubescent; bracts stipule-like; bracteoles inconspicuous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent; tube ± 1 mm. long; limb-tube 1–1.5 mm. long, slightly wider than the tube; lobes linear-subulate from a triangular base, 1.5–4.5 mm. long, ± 0.25 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla-tube 1.2–1.4 cm. long, ± 1 mm. wide, glabrous outside, not bearded at throat; lobes 4–5 mm. long, 2–2.5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit black (or red), 6–7 mm. in diameter, shiny, sparsely hairy; calyx-limb persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Mature seeds not known.
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrub? or small tree 2–5 m tall; young branches pubescent; older branches gnarled or smooth with buff-coloured or rarely (in subsp. A) red-brown, dull bark.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves confined to the apices of the branches; blades drying brownish, 8–17 × 3.2–8 cm, narrowly obovate to obovate, rounded or sometimes acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, sparsely pubescent above, pubescent beneath with dense longer hairs on the nerves; lateral nerves in c. 10 main pairs; domatia absent, but sometimes with hairs in nerve axils somewhat denser than surrounding area; bacterial nodules small, dot-like, few to several, scattered; petiole 1–10(15) mm long, densely pubescent; stipules truncate to triangular, 4–8 mm long, acuminate to long acuminate, pubescent or glabrous above and glabrescent at base outside, with silky hairs inside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences compact (sometimes tightly so), 1.5–2.5 cm across (excluding corollas), or rarely (in subsp. A) lax and c. 6.5 mm across; primary inflorescence branches up to 2 mm long, pubescent; secondary branches very reduced; pedicels 2–5 mm long, pubescent; bracts stipule-like; bracteoles inconspicuous. Inflorescence-supporting branches leafless, 0–12(12.5) cm long arising shortly or immediately below the leafing apices of the main stems, on both sides, or sometimes only one.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx pubescent; tube c. 1 mm long; limb-tube 1–1.5 mm long; slightly wider than the tube; lobes linear-subulate from a triangular base, 1.5–4.5 mm long, c. 0.25 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla tube 1.2–1.4(1.6) × c. 0.1 cm, glabrous outside, not bearded at the throat; lobes 4–5 × 2–2.5 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit black (or red) 6–7 mm in diameter, shiny, sparsely hairy; calyx limb persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Mature seeds not known.
[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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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