Grewia praecox K.Schum.

Tiliaceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Bush or small tree up to 4 m. tall, with rather pale pubescent branches.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves incompletely expanded at flowering time; leaf-lamina c. 1–2 × 1–1·25 cm. expanding to 5–6 × 2–5 cm. in fruit, oblong, ovate-oblong or subobovate-rhombic, acute at the apex, margin denticulate and becoming irregularly serrate with age, rounded or broadly cuneate at the base, subtomentose on both surfaces but not discolorous when young, sparsely pubescent in fruit; petiole 1–4 mm. long, pubescent; stipules subulate, exceeding the petiole at flowering time; bud-scales persistent, characteristically brown-black and cucullate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences 1-, rarely 2-flowered, extra-axillary; peduncles very short or obsolete; pedicels up to 18 mm. long, densely pubescent; bracts similar to the young stipules.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals up to 17 mm. long, linear-oblong, greenish and densely pubescent outside, white and glabrous inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white, c. 0·7 cm. long, broadly lanceolate to almost circular, with a narrower basal claw 1 mm. tall, circumvillous within and ledged above.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androgynophore

Androgynophore glabrous below for 1 mm., shortly tomentellous above for c. 1 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 4-lobed, villous; style c. 8 mm. long, pubescent except in the upper third; stigma-lobes broad.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit c. 15 mm. in diam., very deeply 4-lobed, with scattered setulose hairs often borne in pairs on a tuberculate base.

Tiliaceae, C. Whitehouse, M. Cheek, S. Andrews & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Shrub to 4 m tall, sometimes scandent; young branches densely pubescent to tomentose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves elliptic to broadly ovate, 2.1–6.8 cm long, 1.1–4.4 cm wide, margins serrate, sometimes coarsely and thickly so, tomentose beneath, slightly less so above and becoming slightly scabrid; petiole 1–6 mm long, densely pubescent to tomentose; stipules subulate, 3–8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence usually a solitary flower, but sometimes up to 3-flowered, sometimes flowering before the leaves appear; peduncle very short or absent; pedicels 5–20 mm long, densely pubescent to tomentose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white, sweet-scented; sepals 15–20 mm long; petals elliptic, broadly ovate or ± subcircular, 4–12 mm long, 2.5–6 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androgynophore

Androgynophore glabrous for ± 1 mm at the base, pubescent and produced for 1–3 mm above the node.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5–11 mm long, white.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary 1.5–2 mm long, densely white-hairy; style 7–9 mm long, greenish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit (1–)4-lobed, 10–14 mm wide, the lobes 6–8 mm long, 5–7 mm wide, scattered with long hairs with a small wart at their base.