Apocynaceae
Caralluma

Caralluma longiflora M.G.Gilbert

First published in Bradleya 8: 13 (1990)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Ethiopia to NE. Kenya. It is a succulent subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type
C2, 53 km on “Maas”–“Bulo Burti” road, Thulin & Warfa 4604 (K holo., UPS iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Plants up to 75 cm tall, rather loosely branched from a central stem up to c. 10 mm thick, 4-angled with slightly rounded margins and small teeth; flower-bearing portion of stem to 40 cm long, erect at first but then usually arching over, occasionally branched
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in up to 4-flowered clusters; pedicels 8–10 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla with a very short tube; lobes reflexed, linear-lanceolate, up to 35 mm long and 1.5–1,8 mm wide, glabrous, pale yellow with small purple dots
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corona yellow, completely exserted from the corolla tube; outer lobes shortly 2-horned and spreading horizontally; inner lobes thin, inflexed at first but then erect and connivent.
Distribution
C2; S2; ?Ethiopia, NE Kenya
Ecology
Altitude range 120–280 m.
[FSOM]

Apocynaceae (part 2), David Goyder, Timothy Harris, Siro Masinde, Ulrich Meve, Johan Venter. Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2012

Morphology Stem
Stems loosely branched in irregular clusters, green, distinctly heteromorphic; vegetative basal region up to 35 cm long, 0.6–0.7 cm in diameter, 4-angled but edges weakly rounded, slightly paler; tubercles indistinct, peg-like.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf rudiments narrowly triangular, 2 mm long, acute, margins with large, unicellular hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flower-bearing apical region up to 40 cm long, ± terete, curved with tip nearly horizontal, sometimes branched Flowers 5.5–7.5 cm diameter, corolla very deeply divided, adaxially ochre dotted pale purple; lobes linear-lanceolate, 25–35 × 1.5–1.8 mm, curved outwards at an angle of 45°, margins revolute, finely ciliate, corolla tube flat, ± 3.5 mm diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences 1 to 4-flowered; tips of buds contorted clockwise.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels pointing downwards at anthesis, 0.8–1 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Gynostegial corona forming a flat bowl ± 3.5 mm diameter, on a narrow stalk, completely excerted from corolla tube; interstaminal corona lobes spreading horizontally, concave, truncate, apically slightly incised, yellow with darker tips; staminal corona lobes ± 5 mm long, basally ribbonlike, apically broadly lanceolate, acuminate, partly twisted around each other, pale yellow, connivent-erect to form a column
Ecology
Acacia-Commiphora bushland on limestone; ± 350 m
Note
The extremely long and connivent staminal corona lobes of this species are unique in the genus.
Distribution
Flora districts: K1 Range: Ethiopia, Somalia
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0