Rutidea orientalis Bridson

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

Morphology General Habit

Scandent shrub or climber or ? sometimes a suffrutex, 1.8–6 m. tall; young branches usually densely covered with goldish to rust-coloured hairs, becoming glabrous with age; older branches with greyish fawn bark.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades drying green or brownish, somewhat discolourous, elliptic or less often broadly elliptic or oblanceolate, 4–15.3 cm. long, 2.1 –7(–8.5) cm. wide, acuminate at apex, obtuse to rounded and often unequal at the base, frequently bullate or with the lateral nerves impressed above, very sparsely to sparsely strigose above, more densely or occasionally sparsely covered with hairs beneath; domatia frequently absent or domatial hairy tufts straw-coloured; petiole 0.2–1.8 cm. long, pubescent; stipules 7–15 mm. long, base broad, divided into (3–)5–9(–12) fimbriae above, with long hairs outside, glabrous inside, sometimes reflexing.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 5-merous in hemispherical or less often shortly pyramidal, terminal panicles; lateral inflorescence-branches 1–2(–3) pairs, 0.3–2.4(–4 in fruit) cm. long, densely covered with gold to rust-coloured hairs; pedicels 0–1.5 mm. long; bracteoles numerous, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 2–11 mm. long, usually exceeding the calyx, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube 0.75–1 mm. long, glabrous; limb-tube 0.25–1 mm. long; lobes narrowly lanceolate or narrowly triangular, 1.25–4 mm. long, up to 1 mm. wide at base, sparsely pubescent or glabrescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla glabrous outside; tube 4–9 mm. long, 0.75–1 mm. wide at top; lobes ovate to rotund, 2.25–3.5 mm. long, (1–)1.25–2(–2.75) mm. wide, rounded or less often obtuse at apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma

Stigma well-exserted, fusiform 2–3 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit yellow, orange or red, 5–9 mm. in diameter, glabrous, with a corky scar left by the deciduous calyx-limb.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed reddish black to blackish, 4.25–5 mm. in diameter, sometimes with irregular shallow longitudinal striations.

Figures

Fig. 104.

Habitat

Forest, frequently at edges or in thickets; 800–2250 m.

Distribution

K3 K5 T1 T3 T4 T6 T7 U2 U3 U4

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

Morphology General Habit

Scandent shrub or climber or sometimes a ?suffrutex, 1.8–6 m tall; young branches usually densely covered with ± gold- to rust-coloured hairs, becoming glabrous with age; older branches with greyish-fawn bark.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf blades 4–15.5 × 2–7(8.5) cm, elliptic or less often broadly elliptic or oblanceolate, acuminate at apex, obtuse to rounded and often unequal at the base, frequently bullate or with the lateral nerves impressed above, very sparsely to sparsely covered with strigose hairs above, more densely or occasionally sparsely covered with hairs beneath; domatia frequently absent or as straw-coloured hairs; petiole 0.2–1.8 cm long, pubescent; stipules 7–15 mm long, broad at the base, laciniate with (3)5–9(12) lobes above, with long hairs outside, glabrous inside, sometimes reflexing.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 5-merous in hemispherical or less often shortly pyramidal, terminal panicles; lateral inflorescence branches in 1–2(3) pairs, 0.3–2.4 (4 in fruit) cm long, densely covered with gold- to rust-coloured hairs; pedicels 0–1.5 mm long; bracteoles numerous, 2–11 mm long, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, usually exceeding the calyx, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube 0.75–1 mm long, glabrous; limb 0.25–1 mm long; lobes 1.25–4 mm long, up to 1 mm wide at base, narrowly lanceolate or narrowly triangular, sparsely pubescent or glabrescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla glabrous outside; tube 4–9 mm long; lobes 2.25–3.5 × (1)1.25–2(2.75) mm, ovate to rotund, rounded or less often obtuse at apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen presenter

Pollen presenter 2–3 mm long, fusiform, well exserted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 5–9 mm in diameter, yellow, orange or red, glabrous, with a corky scar left by the deciduous calyx limb.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 4.25–5 mm in diameter, sometimes with irregular shallow longitudinal striations, very pale pinkish when fresh darkening to reddish-black to blackish.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident