Rubia cordifolia L.

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

Morphology General Habit

Scrambling, climbing or creeping plant, less often tussock-forming, with branched stems 0.3–6 m. long; stems brittle, with quite strong curved prickles on the 4 ribs and either pubescent all over or at least with hairs beneath the nodes; roots usually quite woody, containing a red dye.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves in whorls of 4(–8) or sometimes paired; blades lanceolate to broadly ovate, 0.7–8.5 cm. long, 0.2–4.2 cm. wide, acuminate at the apex, rounded to cordate at the base, scabrid pubescent above, glabrescent to often densely covered with long white hairs beneath at least when young, margins often with curved prickles, 5–7-nerved from the base, the nerves sometimes with scattered curved prickles beneath; petioles 0.8–1.5 cm. long, with recurved prickles and often pubescent as well.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences usually numerous, scattered along the stem, fairly lax to rather dense, 0.5–2.5 cm. long; peduncles 1–2.5 cm. long; pedicels 0.2–6 mm. long; bracts elliptic, 1.2–1.5 mm. long, 0.3–0.4 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube (0.25–)0.5–0.8 mm. long and 0.8–1.4 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla yellowish, green, greenish cream or greenish yellow, often pink- or purple-tipped in bud, 4–6 mm. wide; tube 0.2–0.8 mm. long; lobes usually triangular, 1.5–3 mm. long, 0.6–1.3 mm. wide, apiculate, margins minutely papillate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit glabrous, brownish black; lobes globose, 2.5–5 mm. in diameter; pyrenes globose, 3 mm. in diameter.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds globose, 1.2–2.9 mm. in diameter.

Distribution

Greece, N. Africa, Siberia, Manchuria, China, Japan, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, India, Vietnam, Sumatra, Borneo, E., central and S. Africa

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Scrambling climbing or creeping plant up to several m long; stems with recurved prickles along angles

Morphology Leaves

Leaves in whorls of 4(–8); petioles 0.5–7 cm long, with recurved prickles; blades lanceolate to broadly ovate, 0.7–8.5 x 0.2–4 cm, cordate to rounded at the base, acuminate at the apex, scabrid above, ± densely hairy beneath, with recurved prickles along margins, 3–7-nerved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes usually numerous, 0.5–2.5 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla yellow, cream or greenish, 4–6 mm in diam., with apiculate lobes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps c. 2.5–5 mm in diam.

Distribution

Widespread in tropical and southern Africa. The total distribution of this variable species also includes Greece, North Africa, and large parts of Asia.