Pavetta zeyheri Sond.

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

Morphology General Habit

Glabrous shrub or small tree 1–3.1 m tall; young twigs slender, covered with fawn or light grey bark; older branches covered with mid to dark grey or occasionally reddish-brown bark.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves clustered on short slender lateral branches, very occasionally on cushion shoots or spaced along young twigs, sessile; blades 2–4.5 × 0.4–0.9 cm, oblanceolate or linear-lanceolate, rounded or obtuse at the apex, very narrowly cuneate at the base; lateral nerves in c. 3 faint main pairs; domatia absent; bacterial nodules few to abundant, dot-like or more often elliptical, scattered; stipules on young twigs 1.5–2 mm long, truncate-triangular, acuminate-apiculate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence-supporting branches 0.3–3.5 cm long, c. 1 mm wide, leafless, or sometimes bearing short lateral spurs. Inflorescences subumbellate, 0.7–3.2 cm wide (excluding corollas); primary inflorescence branches mostly apparent, 1–3(6) mm long; pedicels 3–10 mm long; bracts 1.5–2 mm long, lacking dense silky hairs inside; bracteoles present but inconspicuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube c. 1 mm long; limb-tube 0.5–0.9 mm long; lobes 0.5–1.5(2) mm long, shortly to narrowly triangular, never spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white or sometimes said to be yellow, glabrous outside; tube 5–11 mm long, c. 1 mm wide at the top; not bearded at the throat; lobes 5–8 × 1.6–3 mm, oblong ovate or sometimes narrowly so, obtuse to acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit black, 7–8 mm in diameter, crowned by calyx limb.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 5 mm across, hemispherical with circular excavation.