Rytigynia umbellulata (Hiern) Robyns

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. État Bruxelles 11: 184 (1928)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa to Botswana. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Scrambling or erect shrub or small tree 1–5(–9) m. tall, often deciduous, the branches usually slender; bark grey-black; branchlets grey to purple-brown, with or without lenticels, glabrous or pubescent or setulose on young parts.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades oblong-elliptic to ovate or lanceolate, 1.8–11 cm. long, 0.7–5 cm. wide, acuminate at the apex, the tip ± rounded, broadly cuneate to rounded at the base, glabrous save for barbellate domatia or sparsely to fairly densely adpressed pilose or setulose particularly on the midrib, usually distinctly thin; petiole 2–7 mm. long; stipules with triangular-truncate bases 1.5–3 mm. long, ± connate at the base, scarious but sometimes becoming woody, ± villous inside, with a subulate appendage 2–8 mm. long or rarely ± lacking.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes umbel-like, 2–8-flowered, often produced with young leaves; peduncle 0.5–4 mm. long or ± obsolete; pedicels 2–10 mm. long; bracteoles 1–2 mm. long, connate to form a scarious involucre.
Morphology General Buds
Buds rounded to subapiculate at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube 1–1.5 mm. long, the limb 0.3 mm. long, truncate or obscurely toothed, scarious.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla creamy, yellow or greenish white; tube 2.5–4 mm. long, with a ring of deflexed hairs within; lobes triangular or oblong, 1.8–3 mm. long, subapiculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary (4–)5-locular; style 4–4.5 mm. long; stigma described as yellow below, green in middle and blue on top, coroniform, 5-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit black, subglobose, 6–9 mm. diameter, with (2–)4–5 pyrenes; pedicels 7–12 mm. long; pyrenes mostly strongly pitted.
Habitat
Evergreen forest, woodland and thicket, frequently by lakesides, often in rocky places, ravines, etc.; 780–1170(–1290) m.
Distribution
Guinea Bissau to Cameroon and Angola, Zaire, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique T1 T4 U2 U4
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Scrambling or erect shrub or small tree up to 15 ft. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pale greenish or yellowish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits reddish
Ecology
In secondary forest.
[FWTA]

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, D. Bridson. Flora Zambesiaca 5:2. 1998

Morphology General Habit
Scrambling or erect shrub or small tree 1–5(9) m tall, often deciduous, the branches usually slender; bark grey-black; branchlets grey to purple-brown, with or without lenticels, glabrous or pubescent, or setulose on young parts.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 1.8–11 × 0.7–5 cm, oblong-elliptic to ovate or lanceolate, acuminate at the apex with the tip ± rounded, broadly cuneate to rounded at the base, glabrous save for barbellate domatia, or sparsely to fairly densely appressed pilose or setulose, particularly on the midrib, usually distinctly thin; petiole 2–7 mm long; stipules ± connate at the base, 1.5–3 mm long, with triangular-truncate bases, scarious but sometimes becoming woody, ± villous inside, with a subulate appendage 2–8 mm long or rarely lacking.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes umbel-like, 2–8-flowered, often produced together with young leaves; peduncle 0.5–4 mm long, or ± obsolete; pedicels 2–10(15) mm long; bracteoles 1–2 mm long, connate to form a scarious involucre.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube 1–1.5 mm long, the limb 0.3 mm long, truncate or obscurely toothed, scarious.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla rounded to sub-apiculate at the apex in bud; creamy, yellow or greenish-white; tube 2.5–4 mm long, with a ring of deflexed hairs within; lobes 1.8–3 mm long, triangular or oblong, subapiculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 4–4.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma described as yellow below, green in middle and blue on top, coroniform, 5-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary (4)5–locular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit black, 6–9 mm in diameter, subglobose, with (2)4–5 pyrenes; pedicels 7–12 (15) mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Pyrene
Pyrenes usually pitted.
[FZ]

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