Stephanotis ernstmeyeri S.Reuss, Liede & Meve

Goyder, D. J., Gilbert, M. G. & Venter, H. J. T. (2020). Apocynaceae (part 2). In: M. A. García (ed.), Flora Zambesiaca, Vol. 7(3). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Type

South Africa, Eastern Cape Province, “Dregea floribunda EM.a. Zuurbergen, in sylva propeStroebels”, Drèges.n. in herb. Benth. (K000305440 lectotype), designated here; “Dregea floribunda EM.a. Zuurbergen, in sylva propeStroebels”, Drèges.n., in herb. Hook. (HBG502852, K000305441 paralectotypes); “Dregea floribunda EM.b. Hoffmannskloofprope Enon”, Drèges.n., in herb. Hook. (HEID701129, K000305442 paralectotypes), in herb. Benth. (K000305438 paralectotype); “Dregea floribunda EM.c. in collibuspropeKatrivier”, Drèges.n. (not traced).

Morphology General Habit

Woody twiner to 5 m with white latex; young shoots glabrescent, older stems grey-brown, lenticellate

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with petiole 1–1.5 cm long; lamina 3–4 × 2–3 cm, broadly ovate, apex acute or shortly attenuate, base obtuse to sub-truncate, glabrous on both surfaces

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences extra-axillary, single, much shorter than the adjacent leaves, forming dense subumbelliform clusters of foetid-smelling flowers; peduncles 0.5–1 cm long, glabrescent; bracts 1–2 mm long, lanceolate; pedicels 2–3 mm long, glabrescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 1.5 × 1 mm, ovate, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla cream or white, glabrous except for a few long white hairs at the base of the lobes; tube c.1 mm long, ± completely enclosing the gynostegium; lobes suberect or spreading, 1.5–2 × 1–1.3 mm, oblong or ovate with a rounded or somewhat truncate or emarginate apex, margins sparsely ciliate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona

Corolline corona absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Staminal corona of five fleshy ovoid vesicles c.0.4 mm long, adnate to the back of the anthers

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anther wings c.0.3 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinarium

Pollinaria minute, corpusculum 0.2 mm long, ovoid; translator arms slender, c.0.15 mm long; pollinia c.0.1 mm long, circular in outline and somewhat compressed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Stylar head projecting for up to 0.5 mm beyond anther appendages, conical-Follicles single or in widely divergent pairs, 4–6 × 2–2.5 cm, tapering gently into a long attenuate tip, glabrous, with 4 longitudinally striate trangular wings running the length of the follicle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds flattened, c.9–12 × 5–5 mm, ovate with a narrow margin; coma c.2 cm long.

Distribution

Mozambique Also occurs in eastern South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape) and most probably in neighbouring Eswatini.

Ecology

Forested gullies on rocky hillsides; 300–360 m.