Rubiaceae
Rutidea

Rutidea smithii Hiern

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 3: 189 (1877)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa. It is a climbing shrub or tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Climber or shrub 1–7 m tall; young stems pubescent or less often puberulous or densely pubescent; older stems with brown or less often buff-coloured thin bark, flaking to reveal the red-brown underlayer.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blades 3.2–15 × 1.5–9.2 cm, elliptic to broadly elliptic, sometimes narrowly obovate or less often round, usually acuminate at the apex, cuneate, obtuse, rounded or cordate, sometimes tending to be unequal at the base, scarcely shiny, glabrous to sparsely pubescent or rarely scabrid with midrib pubescent above, glabrous to sparsely pubescent or less often pubescent with midrib and lateral nerves pubescent or rarely sparsely pubescent beneath; domatial hairy tufts usually present in axils of tertiary nerves; petiole 0.6–3 cm long, puberulous or pubescent; stipule with limb 1.5–2(4) mm long, oblong to shortly triangular, pubescent outside, the lobe 0.6–1.2 cm long, subulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 5(6)-merous, in pyramidal often leafy panicles, terminal on main and on short lateral branches; inflorescence branches pubescent; pedicels 0–1 mm long and increasing to 5(7) mm long in fruit; bracteoles subulate, not exceeding the calyx.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx sparsely or more often densely pubescent with greyish-white hairs; tube 0.75–1 mm long; limb 0.5–1.25 mm long, divided into ovate lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla sparsely or densely covered with greyish- white hairs outside; tube (1.5–3)3.5–4(5) mm long; lobes (1.25)2–2.5(3) × 1–1.5(2) mm, ovate, rounded, usually with hairs towards the throat.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen presenter
Pollen presenter 1–2.25 mm long, fusiform, well exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 5–7 mm in diameter, glabrous, yellow to orange.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 4.25–5 mm in diameter, minutely reticulate, reddish-black.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Climber or shrub 1–7 m. tall; young branches pubescent or less often puberulous or densely pubescent, older branches with brown or less often buff thin bark, flaking to reveal the red-brown underlayer.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades usually drying blackish, elliptic to broadly elliptic, sometimes narrowly obovate or less often round, 3.2–15 cm. long, 1.5–9.2 cm. wide, usually acuminate at apex, cuneate, obtuse, rounded or cordate, sometimes tending to be unequal at base, scarcely shiny, glabrous to sparsely pubescent or rarely scabrid with midrib pubescent above, glabrous to sparsely pubescent or less often pubescent with midrib and lateral nerves pubescent or rarely sparsely pubescent beneath; domatial hairy tufts usually present in axils of tertiary nerves; petiole 0.6–3 cm. long, puberulous or pubescent; stipule-limb oblong to shortly triangular, 1.5–2(–4) mm. long, pubescent outside; lobe subulate, 0.6–1.2 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 5(–6)-merous, in pyramidal, often leafy panicles, terminal on main and on short lateral branches; inflorescence-branches pubescent; pedicels 0–1 mm. long or lengthening to 5(–7) mm. long in fruit; bracteoles subulate, not exceeding the calyx.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx sparsely or more often densely pubescent with greyish-white hairs; tube 0.75–1 mm. long; limb 0.5–1.25 mm. long, divided into ovate lobes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla sparsely or densely covered with greyish-white hairs outside; tube (1.5–)3.5–4(–5) mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. wide at top; lobes ovate (1.25–)2–2.5(–3) mm. long, 1–1.5(–2) mm. wide, rounded, usually with hairs towards the throat.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma fusiform, 1–2.25 mm. long, well exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit yellow to orange, 5–7 mm. in diameter, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds reddish black, 4.25–5 mm. in diameter, minutely reticulate.
[FTEA]

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
[AERP]

Rubiaceae, F. N. Hepper & R. W. J. Keay. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Ecology
In secondary forest or forest margins.
Morphology General Habit
Scandent shrub becoming a liane 20 ft. or more high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers whitish, strongly fragrant
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits yellow-red
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0