Steganotaenia hockii (C.Norman) C.Norman

Umbelliferae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Glabrous perennial herb, 0.2–0.6 m. tall, with a stout, woody rootstock, often flowering as secondary growth, an old burnt-off stem-base visible alongside the flowering shoot.

Morphology Stem

Stems wiry, purplish, terete, rather sparingly branched with branches diverging at ± 45°.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves in young stage elliptical to subternate or trifoliolate with the lamina to ± 20 × 10 cm., distinctly petiolate, margins regularly rather finely dentate, the teeth mucronate-subaristate; at flowering time no leaves present, only purplish acute sheaths ± 3–10 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels on purplish 1–13 cm. peduncles; terminal umbel (3–)5–10-rayed, rays purplish, 2.5–9 cm., fertile; lateral umbels with the rays 1–2.5 cm., mostly ♂; involucral bracts 6–8, linear-acuminate, 4–8 mm.; partial umbels 5–14-flowered, pedicels 2–8 mm.; involucel of 3–6 bracteoles 2–4 mm. in length, similar to the bracts but smaller.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-teeth conspicuous, narrowly deltoid, acute, ± 0.5 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals yellowish green, often flushed with to completely dark purple or blackish, oblong-elliptic, ± 1.5 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit compressed-obpyriform, 10–15 × 7–11 mm., at first green, becoming pinkish and finally brownish and papery when mature, deeply emarginate at the apex; stylopodia almost obsolete, disk broad with crenulate margins, immersed in the fruit apex; styles ± 1–1.5 mm., divergent, exceeding the apical notch.

Habitat

On sandy loam in burnt grassland and open deciduous woodland ( Brachystegia, Isoberlinia, Terminalia, Combretum), elsewhere also in dambos; 1210–1360 m.

Distribution

T4 T7

Umbelliferae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, glabrous suffrutex with a large underground woody caudex.

Morphology Stem

Stems up to 60 cm. long, nearly simple, more or less terete, with fine striations, leafless at the time of flowering.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves elliptic, (sometimes with large lobes on one side to subternate); lamina up to 20×10 cm., cuneate, on petioles c. 5 cm. long; margins finely dentate, the teeth with mucronate tips.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels terminal and lateral; bracts few, 3–7 mm. long, linear, with long fine tips, inconspicuous and often missing, probably subcaducous; bracteoles 0–2, similar to the bracts. Partial umbels with 4–7 flowers on fine pedicels up to 6 mm. long, but usually shorter. Lateral umbels sometimes with male flowers only.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Calyx teeth relatively conspicuous in flowers and young fruit; petals yellowish-green to greenish-brown.

Note

Developing fruit, rays and peduncles sometimes tinged with pale purple.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 14–15 × 9–11 mm., pyriform to obovate, strongly dorsally compressed; stylopodium depressed; styles c. 1 mm. long; lateral wings c. 2 mm. wide, well developed, tending to envelop the stylopodium; dorsal ribs filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds occupying c. the upper 2/3 of the fruit, with the basal part sterile and narrower.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore

Carpophore unknown; vittae 0.