genus descriptions: SSTAs

Afrothismia

(Engl.) Schltr.
Description:
Small, fleshy, saprophytic perennial herbs, usually with a single stem; rhizome cylindric, each node with clusters of tuberous bulbils, each with a filamentous root. Leaves alternate, cauline, small, scale-like, sparse. Flowers irregular, relatively large, in a simple or bifurcate, 1
Distribution:
Species
Source:
SSTA

Mon, 2009-03-23 15:23 -- Emily Smith
Anthericopsis

Engl.
Description:
Perennial, completely glabrous herbs, dormant in dry season; tubers at ends of thin wiry roots. Leaves spirally arranged, all or mostly in a basal rosette, sessile. Inflorescence sometimes subsessile at first flowering, eventually long-pedunculate, scapose or subscapose, terminal and axillary, composed of 1 or 2 sessile, contracted, bracteolate cincinni arranged umbel-like at summit of scape. Flowers bisexual, regular, pedicelled. Sepals 3, free, equal, sepaline. Petals 3, free, equal, not clawed. Stamens 3, antepetalous, free, equal; filaments glabrous; staminodes 3, antepetalous, free; antherodes small, unlobed. Ovary 3-locular, 3-valved; ovules many. Fruit a 3-valved capsule. Seeds 8
Distribution:
Monotypic: Anthericopsis sepalosa (C.B.Cl.) Engl. (= Aneilema sepalosa C.B.Cl.; Gillettia sepalosa (C.B.Cl.) Rendle), eastern trop. Afr.; sthn trop. Afr.: Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique.
Source:
SSTA

Mon, 2009-03-23 15:23 -- Emily Smith
Palisota

Rchb. ex Endl.
Description:
Perennial herbs, generally medium- to large-sized, with a distinct aerial main stem or with rosettes of leaves at ground level. Leaves spirally arranged or in pseudowhorls, petiolate. Inflorescence thyrsiform, pedunculate, terminal and/or axillary. Flowers bisexual and male, slightly irregular, pedicellate. Sepals 3, subequal. Petals 3, free, subequal. Stamens 3, 2 posterior ones shorter and with sterile pollen, anterior stamen longer and with fertile pollen; staminodes 2 or 3, subequal or posterior one different or lacking. Ovary 3-locular; ovules 1
Distribution:
Species
Source:
SSTA

Mon, 2009-03-23 15:23 -- Emily Smith
Pollia

Thunb.
Description:
Stoloniferous or rhizomatous perennial herbs; main stem monopodial,
Distribution:
Species 17, pantropical and warm temperate; sthn trop. Afr. 1: Pollia condensata C.B.Clarke, Angola.
Source:
SSTA
Synonym(s):
Aclisia E.Mey.

Mon, 2009-03-23 15:23 -- Emily Smith
Stanfieldiella

Brenan
Description:
Perennial herbs with monopodial,
Distribution:
Species 4, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr 1: Stanfieldiella imperforata (C.B.Clarke) Brenan, Angola.
Source:
SSTA
Synonym(s):
Bufforestia C.B.Cl., in part.

Mon, 2009-03-23 15:23 -- Emily Smith
Ziziphus

Mill.
Description:
Additional family characters: Stamens with filaments fused into a long tube. Fruit a 5-locular capsule with 2 seeds per locule.
Distribution:
Sthn trop. Afr.: genera 5, species 21.
Source:
SSTA

Mon, 2009-03-23 13:08 -- Emily Smith
Anopyxis

(Pierre) Engl.
Description:
Large trees; branches glabrous. Leaves in 3- or 4-nate verticils, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, rounded at apex, subcoriaceous, glabrous, shiny, finely reticulate; stipules interpetiolar, linear. Inflorescences axillary, short cymes. Calyx broadly campanulate, softly tomentellous; lobes 5, ovate, obtuse, longer than fused basal part. Petals 5, free, linear-oblanceolate, entire or toothed, pubescent in upper part. Stamens 10, monadelphous; staminal tube cylindric, 10-crenulate at apex; anthers sessile between crenulations. Ovary 5-locular, sessile, depressed-globose, with 2 collateral, pendent ovules per locule. Fruit a 5-locular, loculicidal capsule, narrowly ovoid to ellipsoid, softly tomentellous. Seeds 2 per locule, winged in upper part with a membranous aril.
Distribution:
Species 2 or 3, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 1: Anopyxis klaineana (Pierre) Engl., Angola (Cabinda).
Source:
SSTA

Mon, 2009-03-23 13:08 -- Emily Smith
Hagenia

J.F.Gmel.
Description:
Dioecious or polygamo-dioecious trees; branchlets ringed by scars of fallen leaf bases. Leaves imparipinnate, crowded; leaflets 5-7(8) on each side, subopposite, sessile or almost so, narrowly oblong; stipules large, adnate to base of petiole, sheathing branchlets. Inflorescence: large, terminal, drooping panicles. Flowers with 2 or 3 bracts embracing base of calyx tube. Calyx: tube with (4)5
Distribution:
Monospecific upland genus from NE Africa: Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) J.F.Gmel.; sthn trop. Afr.: Zambia, Malawi.
Source:
SSTA

Mon, 2009-03-23 13:08 -- Emily Smith
Delphinium

L.
Description:
Perennial herbs, erect; stems +/- pubescent. Leaves mostly +/- basal, palmatisect, often almost to base, palmatinerved; petioles long. Flowers bisexual, irregular, in terminal, racemose or paniculate inflorescences. Sepals 5, petaloid, posterior one produced into a spur. Petals 2-5, 2 posterior ones with spurs +/- joined and fitting into calyx spur. Stamens many, often with flattened filaments. Carpels 3(4), sessile; ovules many. Fruit of 3 pubescent follicles.
Distribution:
Species +/- 320, mostly N temperate, also trop. African mountains; sthn trop. Afr. 3, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique.
Source:
SSTA

Mon, 2009-03-23 13:08 -- Emily Smith
Maesopsis

Engl.
Description:
Tall trees; bark silvery grey with vertical, twisted furrowing. Leaves opposite to somewhat alternate, petiolate, ovate-elliptic to oblong-ovate, penninerved with many subparallel tertiary veins, markedly glandular-serrulate; stipules subulate, caducous. Inflorescences divaricately branched axillary cymes. Flowers bisexual. Sepals 5, deltoid with minutely pubescent margins. Petals 5, not clawed, extremely concavo-convex and thus almost totally obscuring anther, even when dehiscing. Stamens 5, with +/- sessile anthers. Disc thin, lining cup at its rim, minutely 10-lobed. Ovary apparently 1-locular, with a single basal, ascending, anatropous ovule; style simple, cylindric, projecting only slightly above petals; stigma peltate with 10 small marginal lobes. Fruit a +/- obovoid drupe with a 1-seeded stone with style and stigma persistent; outer portion of mesocarp fleshy.
Distribution:
Monotypic genus: Maesopsis eminii Engl., trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. Angola, Zambia. Considered a dangerous invader in E Usambara, Tanzania (Binggeli & Hamilton 1993).
Source:
SSTA

Mon, 2009-03-23 13:08 -- Emily Smith

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