Psychotria cryptogrammata E.M.A.Petit

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

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or subshrub to 2 m.; stems slender, at first ± bifariously pubescent but soon glabrescent or entirely glabrous and covered with thin pale grey cork.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades narrowly elliptic to elliptic or rhomboid-elliptic, 3.5–14 cm. long, 1.5–4.5 cm. wide, acuminate or very acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, glabrous or sometimes pubescent beneath when young, thin; domatia absent; nodules dark green, numerous, linear or spot-like or often irregularly branched or radiate, up to 3 mm. long, densely dispersed in the lamina; petiole 0.5–2.5 cm. long, glabrous; stipules lanceolate to ovate-triangular, 4–7 mm. long, with 2 fine acuminate lobes at the apex 1–2 mm. long, glabrous or pubescent, soon deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow, heterostylous, 5-merous, in sparsely branched small panicles, 1.5–4.5 cm. long; peduncles ± angular, 1–3.5 cm. long, glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent; pedicels up to 2 mm. long; bracts almost obsolete.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx glabrous; tube obconic, 0.75–1 mm. long; limb cupuliform, 0.75 mm. long; lobes ± triangular, up to 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla?white, glabrous; tube 2–4.5 mm. long; lobes elliptic, 1.2–2.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens with filaments 2 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 0.3 mm. long in long-styled flowers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style 2 mm. long in short-styled flowers, not known for long-styled flowers; stigma-lobes ± 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Infructescences

Fruiting inflorescence 3-fruited, small, 1.5 cm. wide; peduncle 2-ribbed, 1.7–2 cm. long; pedicels 1–2 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Drupe pale, globose, 3–6 mm. in diameter, glabrous, not markedly ribbed, crowned with the calyx-limb consisting of 2 mm. long cylindrical part and ± 1–3 mm. long triangular lobes; pyrenes subglobose but flattened ventrally, 3.5 mm. long and wide, 2.3 mm. thick, rugulose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds closely conforming to the pyrenes with a U-shaped ventral groove.

Habitat

Evergreen forest; 1200–1800 m.

Distribution

T3 T6 T7 not known elsewhere