Apocynaceae
Desmidorchis

Desmidorchis speciosa (N.E.Br.) Plowes

First published in Haseltonia 3: 59 (1995)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. & E. Tropical Africa. It is a succulent subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Massive perennials to 30 cm height.
Morphology Stem
Stems erect, light green to grey-green, rather soft, 10–30 cm long up to 5 cm thick, but often tapering towards apex, 4-angled, side faces concave, edges with small, brown, corky band when aged. Tubercles conical, acute
Morphology Leaves
Leaf rudiments short, spreading, thorn-like
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences multi-flowered, up to 7 cm diameter, globose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers foetid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 4.5–6.5 mm long, 2.5–3.5 mm thick.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals ± 3 × 1.5 mm, acuminate, abaxially with scattered thickish hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla campanulate, abaxially black-purple, 2.5–5 cm diameter, smooth; tube deeply cupular, ± 2 cm long, 2 cm wide, adaxially canary-yellow; lobes horizontally spreading, adaxially blackish-purple, broadly ovate-triangular, 1.2–1.5 × ± 1.3 cm, acuminate, margins slightly revolute, densely ciliate with clavate purple hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Gynostegial corona cyathiform, 4–4.5 mm diameter, flattened; interstaminal corona lobes bright yellow, narrowly triangular or lanceolate, 4–5 × ± 1 mm, bifid in upper third to half, appendages parallel, pressed against corolla tube; staminal corona lobes 1.5–2 × ± 1 mm, obtuse or retuse, shorter than anthers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Mericarps two, 8–12(–18) cm long, up to 1 cm wide, spreading somewhat irregularly
Ecology
Dry bushland and wooded grassland, in alkaline soil and between volcanic rocks; 400–1300 m
[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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Type
S2; “Brava” near Mogadishu, Kirk s.n. (K holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Plants forming large groups, 20–35 cm tall; stems 25–35 mm wide, erect or ascending, adventitiouslyrooting, olive- to greyish-green, margins soon hardened into a light brown callus and with short, hard teeth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in large many-flowered terminal umbel-like inflorescences; pedicels up to 20 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla deeply campanulate, c. 30 mm long and 32 mm wide, smooth; tube 25–27 mm long, yellow inside; lobes triangular, purplish black, ascending or spreading, with numerous versatile, club-shaped hairs along margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corona yellow, glabrous; outer lobes each with 2 thin, erect horns.
Distribution
N1–3; C1, 2; S2, 3
Ecology
Altitude range 25–1800 m.
[FSOM]

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

    • '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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images