Brucea antidysenterica J.F.Mill.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/153944265/153944267

Conservation

LC - least concern

Simaroubaceae, H. Wild and J. B. Phipps. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree to 5 m. tall; young twigs stout, pubescent, older twigs with roughly triangular leaf-scars 5–10 × 4–9 mm.; pubescence golden-brown.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 15–60 cm. long, with 3–5 pairs of leaflets, pubescent above and below, most densely so on the nerves below, rarely almost glabrous; petiole 8–15 cm. long; leaflet-laminas 4–13 × 2–6 cm., oblong to narrowly ovate, ± opposite, apex subacute, margins entire to shallowly repand, base asymmetric truncate to cuneate; petiolules up to 5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 12–35 cm. long, andromonoecious, of spiciform panicles bearing distant glomerules (or rarely short spiciform racemes) along the main axis, axillary, borne towards the end of the young shoots, pubescent; bracts subulate, pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers not opening widely.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals c. 1 mm. long, ovate, pubescent at least outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals up to 2 mm. long, similar to the sepals, pubescent at least outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens c. 1 mm. long; filaments glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk pulviniform, margin 4-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Gynoecium (absent in the male flowers) in the bisexual flowers consisting of ± free, ovoid, usually glabrous carpels pressed together at first with the stigmas bent outwards in a cruciform arrangement.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit developing from 1–4 of the carpels in each flower and consisting of red ovoid drupaceous mericarps c. 10 × 6 mm. acute at the apex.

Simaroubaceae, Brian Stannard. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2000

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree to 10(–15) m; bark of older stems smooth, grey to pale brown; young stems covered with ferruginous pubescence.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 10–65 cm long, ferruginous pubescent (rarely almost glabrous); lateral leaflets in 2–6 pairs, narrowly oblong to narrowly ovate, 3–18 cm long, 1.5–8 cm wide, becoming somewhat smaller towards the leaf-base, acute to shortly acuminate at apex, asymmetric and rounded at base, margins entire to shallowly repand, gland dots near margin not always clearly visible; leaflets subsessile (usually more so towards the leaf apex) or with petiolules up to 10 mm, terminal petiolules 6–35 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 5–36 cm long, spiciform, polygamous, axis ferruginous pubescent; male and female/hermaphrodite flowers on separate inflorescences, in distant glomerules.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 4(–5), oblong to ovate, 2–3 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, acute, pubescent inside and outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 4(–5), oblong to ovate, 1.5–3 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, pubescent outside, sometimes inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4(–5), 1–1.25 mm long in male flowers, glabrous; anthers ovate elliptic, 0.5–0.75 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disc 1–1.25 mm in diameter.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Gynoecium of 4–5 free carpels, 1–2.5 mm tall, 1–3 mm wide, glabrous or pubescent; stigmas 1 mm long, free, reflexed back and outwards in cruciform pattern.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Infructescences

Infructescence (4–)7–40 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits of 1–4 mericarps on fruiting pedicels 1–8 mm long; mericarps ellipsoid, 9–14 mm long, 6–8 mm wide, acute at apex, glabrous, red; sarcocarp thin; endocarp reticulately wrinkled, hard.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 8–9 mm long, 5–6 mm wide.

Figures

Fig. 3.

Habitat

Upland evergreen forest, forest margins, secondary growth in deforested areas and montane grassland; 1400–2800 m

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 K6 K7 T2 T3 T4 T7 U2 U4 A genus of ± 6 species occurring in the Old World tropics from tropical Africa to tropical Asia and N Australia.tropical Africa from Guinea to Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo (Kinshasa), Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Angola, Zambia and Malawi