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

Gomphocarpus phillipsiae (N.E.Br.) Goyder

This species is accepted, and its native range is Eritrea to N. & E. Tanzania.

[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 (0.2–)0.5–1.5 m tall arising from a tap root.
Morphology Stem
Stems erect, much branched from above the base, woody below, slender, densely spreadingpubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or in whorls of 4; sessile or with petiole ± 1 mm long; lamina coriaceous, narrowly linear, 2.5–5(–10) × 0.1–0.2(–0.5) cm, apex acute, mucronate, margins smooth, strongly revolute, sparsely pubescent with soft white hairs on the midrib and margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences extra-axillary with 4–7 flowers in a nodding umbel.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles 0.5–2(–3) cm long, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts filiform, deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals triangular, 3–5 × 1–2 mm, acute, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla reflexed, white or cream, frequently tinged pink outside, glabrous outside, minutely papillate and with long white hairs along the right margin within; lobes ovate, 5–7 × 3–5 mm, subacute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corona lobes attached ± 1 mm above base of staminal column, cream or green, quadrate, 2–3 × 2–2.5 mm, laterally compressed, complicate, ± as tall as the column, the upper margins rounded and with a distinct notch at base of proximal teeth, proximal margins produced into a pair of broad, often denticulate teeth 1–1.5 mm long, pointing back along the upper margins of the lobe and curved down into the cavity, cavity without teeth or projections, teeth and margins frequently pink
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther wings ± 1.5 mm long, margins not curved; corpusculum brown, subcylindrical, 0.3–0.5 × 0.1–0.15 mm; translator arms ± 0.3–0.4 × 0.1 mm, flattened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinia
Pollinia oblong or oblanceolate in outline, 1.2–1.3 × 0.3 mm, flattened
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Stylar head flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Fruiting pedicel contorted. Pedicels ± 1.5 cm long, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicle ovoid, 4–7 × 1.5–2.5 cm, tapering gradually into an attenuate beak, inflated, pubescent and with pubescent filiform processes (2–)5–7 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovate, 3.5–5 × 2 mm, with one convex and one concave face, verrucose; coma ± 3 cm long
Figures
Fig 103/5 & 104/5, pp 424 & 425
Ecology
Open rocky ground and disturbed areas; 1200–2200(–3000) m. Flowering ± throughout the year
Distribution
Flora districts: U1 U2 U3 U4 K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T6 Range: E Congo-Kinshasa, Rwanda, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia

[FSOM]

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

Type
N1, without precise locality, Lort Phillips s.n. (K holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Stems (0.2–)0.5–1.5 m tall, erect, much branched from base, slender, densely spreading-pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves with blade 2.5–5(–10) x 0.1–0.2(–0.5) cm, narrowly linear, apex acute, mucronate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences with 4–7 flowers; peduncles 0.5–2(–3) cm long; pedicels c. 1.5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 3–5 x 1–2 mm, triangular, acute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla reflexed, white or cream, frequently tinged pink outside; lobes 5–7 x 3–5 mm, ovate, subacute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corona-lobes cream or green, teeth and margins frequently pink, 2–3 x 2–2.5 mm, ± as tall as the column, the upper margins rounded and with a distinct notch at base of proximal teeth, proximal margins produced into a pair of broad, often denticulate teeth 1–1.5 mm long, pointing back along the upper margins of the lobe and curved down into the cavity, cavity without teeth or projections
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicle 4–7 x 1.5–2.5 cm, ovoid, tapering gradually into an attenuate beak, inflated, pubescent and with pubescent filiform processes.
Distribution
N1; Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, eastern Dem. Rep. Congo
Ecology
Altitude: probably at c. 1500 m.
Note
In Somalia known only from the type collection

Native to:

Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaïre

Gomphocarpus phillipsiae (N.E.Br.) Goyder appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jan 1, 2001 Steudner [747], Eritrea K000234598 Unknown type material Yes
Gillett, J.B. [14719], Ethiopia 1944.000 No
Tweedie, E.M. [2174], Kenya 30936.000 No
Hepper [5036], Kenya 34345.000 No
Tweedie, M. [3395], Kenya 44620.000 No
Semsie, S. [1989], Tanzania 5331.000 No
Goyder, D.J. [3944], Kenya 62781.000 No
Lort Phillips, E. [s.n.], Somalia K000234597 Unknown type material Yes

First published in Kew Bull. 51: 798 (1996)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS G: 1-40325.
  • 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.
  • Thulin, M. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Somalia 3: 1-626. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Literature

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 3, (2006) Author: by D. Goyder [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Fl. Eth. 4(1): 124 (2003)
  • Fl. Somalia 3: 146 (2006).
  • K.B. 51: 798 (1996)

  • 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 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