Rubiaceae
Psychotria

Psychotria amboniana K.Schum.

First published in H.G.A.Engler, Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas, C: 390 (1895)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to Mozambique. It is a shrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:1. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Shrub 1–3 m. tall; young stems mostly pale, greyish white, often chestnut when older, with grooved slightly peeling epidermis, glabrous or in one variety velvety.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blades 1.5–8(11) x 0.2–3.3(4) cm., oblong-elliptic, narrowly to broadly elliptic, narrowly obovate or even ± linear-lanceolate, acute to shortly acuminate at the apex, very narrowly cuneate at the base, discolorous, glabrous on both surfaces, or in one variety velvety pubescent; nodules few, situated in the basal part of the midrib and domatia often present in the axils of the lateral nerves beneath; petiole 1–3(15) mm. long, passing very gradually into the very narrow base of the lamina; stipules sometimes brown, glabrous, bilobed, the base ovate-triangular 1–1.5 mm. long, the lobes 0.3–0.6(2) mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers heterostylous, 5-merous, in ± many-flowered rather congested glabrous panicles or rarely subumbellate; peduncle 0.7–4 cm. long; secondary peduncles 4–10 mm. long; pedicels 1–4 mm. long; bracts minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous; tube 0.5–1 mm. long, campanulate; limb 1.25–2 mm. long, deeply cupuliform, drying pale, with ± triangular teeth 0.25–0.8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white or cream, glabrous outside; tube 4–6 mm. long; lobes 3–4 x 0.9 mm., narrowly oblong, ± appendiculate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens with filaments 2.5–3.5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 0.3–0.4 mm. long in long-styled flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style 2–2.5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 6–8 mm. long in long-styled flowers; stigma lobes 1–2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Drupes red, with 1–2 pyrenes, 4–6 mm. in diam., subglobose or ovoid, glabrous, crowned with the calyx limb; pyrenes 4 x 2.7 x 2.4 mm., ovoid or semiglobose, the dorsal surface 6–7-ribbed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 4 x 2.7 x 2.4 mm., ± semi-globose or ovoid, grooved on the ventral face; albumen not ruminate.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrub 1–3 m. tall; young stems mostly pale, greyish white, often chestnut when older, with grooved slightly peeling epidermis, glabrous or in one variety velvety.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades oblong-elliptic, narrowly to broadly elliptic, narrowly obovate or even ± linear-lanceolate, 1.5–8 cm. long, 0.2–3.3 cm. wide, acute to shortly acuminate at the apex, very narrowly cuneate at the base, discolorous, glabrous on both surfaces, or in one variety velvety pubescent; nodules few, situated in the basal part of the midrib and domatia often present in the axils of the lateral nerves beneath; petiole 1–3(–15) mm. long, passing very gradually into the very narrow base of the lamina; stipules sometimes brown, glabrous, bilobed, the base ovate-triangular, 1–1.5 mm. long, the lobes 0.3–0.6(–2) mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers heterostylous, 5-merous, in ± many-flowered rather congested glabrous panicles or rarely subumbellate; peduncle 0.7–4 cm. long; secondary peduncles 4–10 mm. long; pedicels 1–4 mm. long; bracts minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx glabrous, tube campanulate, 0.5–1 mm. long; limb deeply cupuliform, drying pale, 1.25–2 mm. long, with ± triangular teeth 0.25–0.8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white or cream, glabrous outside; tube 4–6 mm. long; lobes narrowly oblong, 3–4 mm. long, 0.9 mm. wide, ± appendiculate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens with filaments 2.5–3.5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 0.3–0.4 mm. long in long-styled flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style 2–2.5 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 6–8 mm. long in long-styled flowers; stigma-lobes 1–2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Drupes red, with 1–2 pyrenes, subglobose or ovoid, 4–6 mm. in diameter, glabrous, crowned with the calyx-limb; pyrenes ovoid or semiglobose, 4 mm. long, 2.7 mm. wide, 2.4 mm. thick, the dorsal surface 6–7-ribbed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ± semiglobose or ovoid, 4 mm. long, 2.7 mm. wide, 2.4 mm. thick, grooved on the ventral face; albumen not ruminate.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • 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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0