Descriptions
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/146447633/146447635
- Conservation
- LC - least concern
Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976
- Morphology General Habit
- Shrub or small tree, 1.5–15 m. tall, often multi-stemmed and sometimes with a spreading crown; stems glabrous, longitudinally ridged, with pale to dark bark, mostly smooth and unpeeling but peeling or powdery in one variant.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blades narrowly to broadly elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 8–28 cm. long, 3.2–15 cm. wide, acute to shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded or less often ± subcordate at the base, entirely glabrous or sometimes very young leaves pilose beneath and adult ones sparsely pubescent; petiole 0.8–1.8 cm. long; stipules with broad base 3–5 mm. long, and narrow apex 0.4–1.8 cm. long, glabrous or pubescent.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescence pubescent; branches 1–4.5 cm. long, 7–10-flowered; main peduncles ± 1 cm. long; pedicels ± 2 mm. long, save those of central flower of inflorescence which measure 4 mm.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Calyx-tube 1.2–3 mm. long; lobes triangular-oblong to narrowly oblong, 0.5–1.5 mm. long, ± pubescent.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Corolla greenish yellow, yellow or cream, glabrous or rarely with few hairs; tube 3–4.5 mm. long; lobes 3.5–4.5 mm. long, with appendages up to 0.5 mm. long; buds slightly to usually markedly acuminate or apiculate due to the corolla lobe-appendages.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
- Style 7–8 mm. long; stigmatic club cylindrical, yellow, 1.2–1.5 mm. long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruits green to brownish, subglobose, 2.5–5 cm. in diameter, with 4–5 pyrenes, each ± 2 cm. long, 1.2 cm. wide, 8 mm. thick, with thick woody walls 1–2 mm. thick.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds ±1.6 cm. long, 6 mm. wide, 4.5 mm. thick, narrowed at one end.
- Figures
- Figs. 131/22, p. 752; 132/15, p. 754 & 150.
- Habitat
- Evergreen forest, riverine forest and woodland, bushland, grassland with scattered trees, sometimes on rock outcrops and termite mounds; 0–2130 m.
- Distribution
- K1 K3 K4 K6 P T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 also cultivated in Madagascar, Mascarenes, Zaire, India, Singapore, N. Australia, Ghana and Trinidad
Rubiaceae, D. Bridson. Flora Zambesiaca 5:2. 1998
- Morphology General Habit
- Shrub or small tree, 1.5–15 m tall, often multi-stemmed and sometimes with a spreading crown; stems mostly robust, glabrous, longitudinally ridged, with pale to mid-brown bark, mostly smooth and unpeeling (but peeling or powdery in one southern Tanzanian variant).Leaf blades 8–28 × 3.2–15 cm, narrowly to broadly elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, acute to shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded or less often ± subcordate at the base, entirely glabrous or sometimes very young leaves pilose beneath and adult ones sparsely pubescent; lateral nerves in (7)8–10 main pairs; tertiary nerves finely reticulate, often drying distinctly dark below and pale above; petiole 0.3–1.8 cm long, often drying cream-coloured; stipules with a broad base 3–5 mm long, and a narrow apex 0.4–1.8 cm long; glabrous or pubescent.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescence c. 30-flowered, pubescent; branches 1–4.5 cm long, 7–10-flowered; main peduncle c. 10 mm long; pedicels about 2 mm long, save those of the central flower of the inflorescence which measures 4 mm long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Calyx tube 1.2–3 mm long; lobes 0.5–1.5 mm long, triangular-oblong to narrowly oblong, ± pubescent.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Corolla slightly to usually markedly acuminate in bud, or apiculate due to the corolla lobe appendages; greenish-yellow, yellow or cream, glabrous or rarely with a few hairs; tube 3–4.5 mm long; lobes 3.5–4.5 mm long with appendages up to 0.5 mm long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
- Style 7–8 mm long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen presenter
- Pollen presenter yellow, 1.2–1.5 mm long, cylindrical.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruits green to brownish, 2.5–5 cm diameter, subglobose; pyrenes 4–5, each c. 20 × 12 × 8 mm with thick woody walls 1–2 mm thick.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds c. 16 × 6 × 4.5 mm, narrowed at one end.
Sources
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Flora Zambesiaca
- Flora Zambesiaca
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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Flora of Tropical East Africa
- Flora of Tropical East Africa
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
- Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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IUCN Categories
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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Kew Backbone Distributions
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0