Tricalysia repens Robbr.

Rubiaceae, D.M.Bridson & B.Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:3. 2003

Morphology General Habit

Suffrutex 0.3–1 m tall, with creeping rhizomes; young stems glabrous; older stems with light brown, buff- or wine-coloured bark.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf blades dimorphic with the ones at the start of the new season’s growth smaller and broader, main blades 3.5–9 × 1–2(2.5) cm, oblanceolate to obovate, acute, often tending to be subacuminate, frequently bearing a very short mucro, or seldom truncate at the apex, narrowly cuneate at the base, drying olive-green, coriaceous, entirely glabrous, margins strongly recurved; midrib cream- coloured, ± flat above, prominent beneath; lateral nerves in c. 8 main pairs, at an acute angle to midrib, slightly or clearly raised above, obscure beneath; tertiary nerves obscure; domatia absent; petiole 3–8 mm long; stipules glabrous; limb sheathing, 1.5–2.5 mm long, triangular, arista 1–3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences subtended by leaves, or sometimes borne at naked nodes, up to 6-flowered; peduncles 1–2 mm long; intermediate inflorescence branches present, discernible but short; single-flowered inflorescence branches 0.75–1.5 mm long, c. 2 mm long in fruit; bract and bracteoles cupular, c. 1 mm long, with 2 short lobes, ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 6-merous, subsessile.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube mostly surrounded by bracteolar cup, glabrous; limb-tube 1–2 mm long, ribbed (i.e. decurrent mid-nerve of lobes, with folds in between), glabrous, with colleters inside; lobes c. 0.5 mm long, rounded, ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white; tube 5–7 mm long, 0.7–2 mm wide at top, glabrous or sparsely pubescent outside, sparsely pilose inside; lobes 5–6 × 2.5 mm, emarginate or acuminate, pubescent towards top below and pilose towards the base above.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens subsessile; anthers inframedifixed, 3.5–4 mm long, obtuse, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style (5)7–10 mm long, glabrous; stigma c. 1 mm long, subcapitate, with lobes adherent, sub-rotund; ovules 2–3 per placenta.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit red, c. 10 × 7 mm, broadly ellipsoid, crowned by persistent calyx limb.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1 per locule (?or per fruit), c. 5 × 4.5 mm ellipsoid, with broadly linear hilar groove.