Pavetta pygmaea Bremek.

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

Morphology General Habit

Subshrub or rhizomatous suffrutex, up to 20 cm tall; stems mid-brown, covered by a dark indumentum.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves clustered at the top of the stems; blades drying blackish-brown above and silver-grey beneath, 5–8.5 × 1.5–3.5 cm, oblanceolate or broadly oblanceolate, obtuse to acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, scabrid above, densely pubescent to tomentose beneath; lateral nerves in 5–7 main pairs, impressed above; domatia absent; bacterial nodules dot-like, scattered, few; petioles 5–8 mm long, densely pubescent; stipule limbs 3–4 mm long with an apiculum up to 5 mm long, pubescent outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence-supporting branches abbreviated, up to 2 cm long, or virtually suppressed, leafless. Inflorescences compact almost subglobose, 1.5–2 cm across (including corollas); primary inflorescence branches very short or up to 5 mm long; secondary and tertiary branches present but very reduced; pedicels up to 4 mm long, pubescent; bracts ± ovate, up to 6 mm long, pubescent outside, with dense silky hairs inside, caducous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx densely pubescent; tube 1–1.5 mm long; limb-tube c. 1.5 mm long, scarcely wider than the tube; lobes 1.5–3 × 0.4–0.75 mm, linear, just touching at base or sometimes separated by a small sinus.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tube 0.5–1 cm long, sparsely hairy outside, not bearded at the throat; lobes 4–6 × 1–1.25 mm, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, sparsely hairy outside especially near the margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit and seed not known.