Dichapetalum fadenii Breteler

Dichapetalaceae, F.J. Breteler (Agricultural University, Wageningen). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Woody climber.

Morphology Branches

Branches dark brown to black, lenticellate; branchlets tomentellous, glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules rather long persistent, entire, narrowly triangular to subulate, (1–)2–5(–6) mm. long, hairy as branchlet.

Morphology Leaves

Petiole subterete, (2–)3–4(–6) mm. long, tomentose; blade papery, elliptic, (4–)6–11 × (2–)3–5 cm., rounded to obtuse and often somewhat unequal-sided at base, apex acutish to rounded, mucronate or not, or obscurely shortly acuminate, midrib and the 6–8 pairs of main lateral nerves impressed above, prominent beneath; densely tomentose above when young, soon glabrescent, beneath persistently short-hairy all over, more densely so on main nerves; glands absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence branched near base into a few-several many-flowered spreading scorpioid arms, tomentellous; peduncle 1–3 mm. long; bracts and bracteoles narrowly triangular, 0.5–1.5 mm. long; pedicel 2–4 mm. long, tomentellous, the upper part at most 0.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals suberect to spreading or even some ± reflexed, ovate-oblong, 1.5–2 × ± 1 mm., tomentellous outside and on apical part inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals suberect, oblong to narrowly obovate in outline, 3–3.5 mm. long, split 1 mm., glabrous on both sides, at base very shortly adnate to filaments.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens suberect, as long as the petals, glabrous; anthers small, ± 0.3 mm. long; staminodes subquadrate to transversely oblong, 0.5 × 0.5–0.2 mm., slightly bilobed, glabrous or hairy at base inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Pistil 3-merous, 3.5–4 mm. long; ovary villous; style glabrous or with a few hairs in basal part, apically distinctly lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits (only immature fruits seen) subglobose to obovoid, slightly laterally compressed, tomentose; endocarp densely long-hairy inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds glabrous.

Figures

Fig. 1.

Habitat

Forest on limestone outcrops; 200–220 m.

Distribution

known only from the type collection K7