Rubiaceae
Keetia

Keetia zanzibarica (Klotzsch) Bridson

First published in Kew Bull. 41: 979 (1986)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa. It is a climbing shrub and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit
Scandent shrubs, small trees or lianes; young stems glabrous to sparsely pubescent or occasionally pubescent; bark pale greyish.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades often turning blackish or grey when dry, narrowly elliptic to round or sometimes ovate to broadly ovate, 5–15 cm. long, 2–7.5 cm. wide, acuminate or less often obtuse to acute and often apiculate at apex, frequently unequal and rounded to truncate, obtuse or rarely subcordate at base, entirely glabrous or with the nerves sparsely pubescent or sometimes glabrescent to sparsely pubescent or rarely pubescent beneath; lateral nerves in 7–9(–10) main pairs; tertiary nerves coarsely reticulate; domatia usually present as tufts of hair; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm., glabrous to pubescent; stipules with a triangular base topped by a subulate to linear lobe 0.4–1.2 cm. long; leaves subtending lateral branches smaller but scarcely differing in shape.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 4–5-merous, borne in 30–60-flowered pedunculate cymes; peduncles 0.5–1.5 cm. long, glabrescent to sparsely pubescent; pedicels 2–8 mm. long, glabrescent to densely pubescent; bracteoles up to 2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube 0.75–1 mm. long, glabrous to densely pubescent; limb dentate, 0.5–1 mm. long, usually glabrous and ciliate or sometimes pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white; tube 2–3.25 mm. long, with a ring of deflexed hairs above the middle inside; lobes oblong-lanceolate, 1.5–2.75 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, acute to obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers fully exserted, erect.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style 5–8 mm. long, glabrous or pubescent; stigmatic knob 0.8–1.25 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit oblong or cordate in outline, 0.8–1.3 cm. long, 1.2–1.7 cm. wide; pyrene broadly ellipsoid with ventral face flattened, 1–1.1 cm. long, 0.75–0.8 cm. wide; area above point of attachment circular on ventral plane with a central crest.
[FTEA]

Rubiaceae, D. Bridson. Flora Zambesiaca 5:2. 1998

Morphology General Habit
Scandent shrubs, small trees or lianas; young stems glabrous to sparsely pubescent or very occasionally pubescent; bark pale greyish.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf blade 5–15 × 2–7.5 cm, narrowly elliptic to round or sometimes ovate to broadly ovate, acuminate or less often obtuse to acute and frequently apiculate at the apex, obtuse rounded truncate or rarely subcordate at the base, usually chartaceous or occasionally almost subcoriaceous, dull or sometimes shiny on upper surface, entirely glabrous with the nerves pubescent beneath or glabrescent to pubescent beneath; lateral nerves in 7–9(10) main pairs; tertiary venation coarsely reticulate; domatia usually present as hairy tufts; petiole 5–15 mm, glabrous to pubescent; stipules 4–12 mm long, with a triangular base topped by a subulate to linear lobe; leaves subtending lateral branches smaller but scarcely differing in shape.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers sweetly scented, 4–5-merous, borne in 30–60-flowered pedunculate cymes; peduncles 5–15 mm long, glabrescent to sparsely pubescent; pedicels 2–8 mm long, glabrescent to densely pubescent; bracteoles up to 2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tube 0.75–1 mm long, glabrous to densely pubescent; limb dentate 0.5–1 mm long, glabrous except for the ciliate teeth or sometimes pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla white; tube 2–3.25 mm long, with a ring of deflexed hairs above the mid-point inside; lobes 1.5–2.75 × 1–1.5 mm, oblong-lanceolate, acute to obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers fully exserted, erect.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 5–8 mm long, glabrous or pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen presenter
Pollen presenter 0.5–1.25 mm long; disk pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 8–13 × 12–17 mm, oblong or obcordate in outline.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Pyrene
Pyrene 8–11 × 7.5–8 mm, broadly ellipsoid with ventral face flattened; area above point of attachment on ventral plane circular with a central crest.
[FZ]

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Rubiaceae, F. N. Hepper & R. W. J. Keay. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Straggling shrub 10-30 ft. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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