Family:
Apocynaceae Juss.
Genus:
Gomphocarpus R.Br.

Gomphocarpus semilunatus A.Rich.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Nigeria to Ethiopia and N. Zambia.

[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrubby perennial herb 1–2.5 m tall arising from a tap root.
Morphology Stem
Stems erect, stout, woody below, frequently unbranched, densely pubescent with spreading white hairs above
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or in whorls of 4; petiole 2–6 mm long, pubescent; lamina linear or linear-lanceolate, 8–12(–15) × 0.5–1.5(–2.5) cm, apex acute or attenuate, base cuneate or truncate, margins smooth, revolute, sparsely pubescent with soft white hairs, particularly on the midrib and margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences extra-axillary with 5–9 flowers in a nodding umbel.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles ascending, 1–4 cm long, densely spreadingpubescent to tomentose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels (1–)1.5–2 cm long, densely pubescent, frequently tinged with purple Fruiting pedicel contorted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals lanceolate, 5–9 × 1–2 mm, attenuate, pubescent, purplish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla ± rotate, white or pink, outer surface deeper than the inner, glabrous outside, minutely papillate and frequently with long white hairs along the right margin within; lobes 7–9 × 4–5 mm, ovate, subacute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corona lobes attached ± 1 mm above base of staminal column, quadrate, 3 × 2.5–3 mm, laterally compressed, complicate, distinctly shorter than the column, the upper margins sloping down distally, denticulate and with a vertical cut about half way along, cavity of the lobe with or without a dorsally flattened, entire or bifid tooth, purple or pink with white upper and inner margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther wings ± 2 mm long, margins slightly convex; anther appendages ± 1 × 0.5 mm, truncate and inflexed over apex of stylar head; corpusculum black, ovoid-subcylindrical, 0.4 × 0.2 mm; translator arms ± 0.4 × 0.15 mm, flattened and geniculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinia
Pollinia oblanceolate in outline, 1.6–1.8 × 0.5–0.6 mm, flattened
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Stylar head flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicle subglobose, to 7 × 5 cm, not beaked, generally inflated, pubescent, densely covered with pubescent filiform processes ± 1 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovate, ± 3.5 × 1.5 mm, with one convex and one concave face, verrucose; coma ± 3 cm long
Figures
Fig 103/3 & 104/3, pp 424 & 425
Ecology
Seasonally flooded alluvial grasslands and waste places; 1300–2000 m. Flowering ± throughout the year
Distribution
Range: From Nigeria to Ethiopia in the north, then southwards to N Zambia, S Congo-Kinshasa and Angola Flora districts: U1 U2 U3 U4 K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5

Native to:

Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Repu, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre

Gomphocarpus semilunatus A.Rich. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
May 1, 2001 Cheek, M. [7248], Cameroon K000107556 No
May 1, 2001 Cheek, M. [8870], Cameroon K000107538 No
Kenya 3814.000 No
s.coll. [s.n.], Kenya 3945.000 No
Drummond, R.B. [4533], Uganda 4004.000 No
Verdcourt, B. [944], Kenya 5332.000 No
Goyder, D.J. [3710], Kenya 59803.000 No
Polhill, R. [2274], Tanzania 6678.000 No
Ash, J.W. [178], Ethiopia 71654.000 No
Scott Elliot, G.F. [7089], Uganda K000234593 isosyntype Yes
Scott Elliot, G.F. [7904], Uganda K000234594 isosyntype Yes
Scott Elliot, G.F. [8101], Uganda K000234595 isosyntype Yes
Scott Elliot, G.F. [7310], Uganda K000234596 isosyntype Yes
Schimper [1343], Ethiopia K000234601 Yes
Quartin-Dillon [31], Ethiopia K000234602 Yes
Brunt, M.A. [315], Cameroon K000028274 No
Maitland, T.D. [1708], Cameroon K000028272 No

First published in Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 39 (1850)

Accepted by

  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Fischer, E., Rembold, K., Althof, A. & Obholzer, J. (2010). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Kakamega forest, Western province, Kenya Journal of East African Natural History 99: 129-226.
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS G: 1-40325.
  • Goyder, D.J., Gilbert, M.G. & Venter, H.J.T. (2020). Flora Zambesiaca 7(3): 1-375. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Goyder, S., Harris, T., Masinde, S., Meve, U. & Venter, J. (2012). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Apocynaceae(2): 1-530.
  • Hedberg, I., Edwards, S. & Nemomissa, S. (eds.) (2003). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 4(1): 1-352. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Fl. Eth. 4(1): 123 (2003).
  • Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 39 (1851)
  • U.K.W.F. ed. 2: 177, pl. 68 (1994)

  • 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 Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0