genus descriptions: SSTAs

Anisocycla

Baill.
Description:
Lianes with yellowish hairs. Leaves simple, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, discolorous. Male inflorescences of 4-6-flowered corymbs. Male flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate; sepals 9-24, pubescent to hairy on outside, 3-12 outer ones bract-like, sublinear to subovate, 3-6 median ones subspathulate or similar to outer ones, inner ones ovate-elliptic, much larger than others; petals 3-6, arising at base of androecium, small and glabrous; stamens 9-18 with filaments connate into a synandrium, anthers subsessile, thecae with transverse dehiscence. Female inflorescences similar to male. Female flowers: petals 3, similar to those of male flowers; staminodes 3 or 0; carpels 3-6, subovoid; ovary pubescent; style cylindric and glabrous. Drupe ovoid or subglobular, endocarp woody. Seeds without endosperm.
Distribution:
Species 6, 3 in Madagascar, 3 in trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 1: Anisocycla blepharosepala Diels, known only from Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Source:
SSTA

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

Hochst.
Description:
Lianes with verrucose bark. Leaves simple, with long petioles, suborbicular, cordate at base, densely hairy; nerves palmate. Male inflorescences of false racemes of 3-5-flowered cymules; bracts filiform, persistent. Male flowers with 6-9 sepals, 3 outer bract-like and hairy, 3-6 inner larger, membranous to papyraceous, concave, pubescent outside; petals 6, fleshy, ribbed inside; stamens 6, erect, with long connate filaments; anther thecae with longitudinal dehiscence. Female inflorescences of pendulous racemes. Female flowers with sepals and petals similar to those of male, sometimes larger; staminodes 6, small, elongate; carpels 3, subovoid, narrowed into a short style; stigma membranous, recurved, longitudinally cleft. Drupelets 3, ellipsoid and unequal-sided, apiculate; exocarp coriaceous; endocarp with a dorsal, median, slightly tuberculate ridge, 3 apical teeth, and 2 ventral narrow marginal wings. Seeds with ruminate endosperm.
Distribution:
Species 2, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 2: Angola, Zambia.
Source:
SSTA

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

Exell & Mendonca
Description:
Climbers with simple leaves. Flowers in pseudoracemes. Male flowers: sepals 6, inner 3 much larger than outer 3; stamens 3, filaments connate, anthers with transverse dehiscence. Female plants unknown.
Distribution:
Monotypic: Dialytheca gossweileri Exell & Mendonca, Angola.
Source:
SSTA

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

Engl.
Description:
Herbaceous twiners; branchlets +/- slender, sparsely pubescent or hirsute. Leaves simple, ovate-triangular with sagittate-cordate base, entire or 3-7-lobed, with long petioles. Male inflorescences of axillary, long-pedunculate racemes. Male flowers with 6-8 sepals in 2 whorls; petals 0; stamens 3-6, fused into a cylindric or subglobular, sometimes flattened, sessile or stipitate synandrium; anther thecae oblong, parallel, dehiscing longitudinally. Female inflorescences similar to male. Female flowers with 6 sepals; petals 0; carpels 3-6, with thickened, recurved stigmas. Drupelets subovoid, topped by remains of style and stigma; exocarp smooth and sometimes shining; endocarp crustaceous, verrucose or covered on upper side with short prickles much enlarged at base. Seeds with thick fleshy endosperm.
Distribution:
Species 3, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 3: Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique.
Source:
SSTA

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

Miers
Description:
Somewhat woody lianes with dense indumentum and tuberous rootstock. Leaves palmately 3-5(7)-lobed, strigose on both surfaces; petiole long. Male inflorescences of elongate axillary panicles, lateral axes bearing 3-7-flowered clusters. Male flowers with 6 sepals, 3 outer ones elongate to elliptic, 3 inner ones obovate; petals 6, somewhat concave, mostly abruptly bent inwards at apex and with margins incurved and enveloping androecium; stamens 6, free or connate; anthers introrse, globular; thecae with transverse dehiscence. Female inflorescences of axillary racemes. Female flowers with sepals and petals +/- similar to those of male; staminodes 6, tongue-shaped. Carpels 3, subovoid; styles small, recurved; stigma broad, produced into 2- or 3-cleft lamellae. Drupelets ovoid or subovoid; exocarp strigose-hispid or setulose; endocarp ovoid, flattened, ventral side +/- smooth, dorsal side clothed with many fibrillose hairs. Seeds with fleshy, ruminate endosperm.
Distribution:
Species 2, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 2: Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique.
Source:
SSTA
Synonym(s):
Chasmanthera not of Hochst.; Exell & Mendonca: 38 (1937/1951).

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

Engl.
Description:
High-climbing shrubs with long internodes. Leaves simple, oblong, auriculate at base; petiole of older leaves often twining. Inflorescences ample panicles. Male flowers: sepals 6, outer 3 shorter than inner 3; petals 6; stamens (3)6, free or +/- connate, anthers with a semicircular dehiscence. Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male; staminodes 3; carpels 3. Drupes ellipsoid; endocarp crustaceous, densely echinate; condyle scutelliform. Seeds: endosperm weakly ruminate at ventral side; embryo subreniform, cotyledons oblong-lanceolate, divaricate.
Distribution:
Species 4, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 2: Angola.
Source:
SSTA

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

Louis ex Troupin
Description:
Climbing shrubs. Leaves simple, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, base cuneate, entire, petiolate. Inflorescence: axillary panicles. Male flowers: sepals 6, inner 3 longer than outer 3; petals 6, outer 3 longer than inner 3; stamens 6, filaments connate, anthers with transverse dehiscence. Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male; staminodes 6; carpels 3. Drupe ellipsoid; endocarp glabrous; condyle scutelliform. Seeds: endosperm weakly ruminate at ventral side; cotyledons foliaceous.
Distribution:
Monotypic genus: Leptoterantha mayumbensis (Exell) Troupin, W trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr.: Angola.
Source:
SSTA

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

Miers
Description:
Shrubs or small trees, evergreen, usually 1-stemmed and sparsely branched, glabrous in all vegetative parts. Leaves simple, entire, usually coriaceous; petiole swollen at both ends. Inflorescence a few- to many-flowered globose head or umbel. Male flowers: tepals 12-18, in whorls of 3; stamens (3-)6(-8), free or sometimes 2 stamens completely connate lengthwise, anthers with apical dehiscence. Female flowers: tepals 12(-14); staminodes 6 or 0; carpels 3. Drupe oblong to elliptic, smooth; endocarp chartaceous; condyle present. Seeds: endosperm absent; embryo straight, cotyledons thick, adpressed. x = 13, 26.
Distribution:
Species 4, W and C Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 1: Penianthus longifolius Miers (= P. gossweileri Exell), Angola (Cabinda).
Source:
SSTA

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

De Wild & T.Durand
Description:
Trees or shrubs, monoecious or (?)sometimes androdioecious. Leaves distichous, pinnately veined to subtriplinerved; stipules fully amplexicaul, free. Inflorescences in leaf axils or just below leaves, bisexual or staminate, discoid or subglobose to turbinate-capitate; bracts interfloral, peltate, marginal bracts often basally attached. Staminate flowers several to many; tepals 3 or 4, connate; stamens (1)2, inflexed in bud; pistillode present. Pistillate flower 1, central, partly adnate to receptacle; perianth 4-lobed; ovary adnate to perianth; stigmas 2, band-shaped, equal. Fruit forming a drupaceous whole with an enlarged, fleshy, orange to yellow receptacle, crowned with remnants of staminate flowers and bracts. Seed large, without endosperm; cotyledons thick, unequal.
Distribution:
Monotypic, trop. Africa: Bosqueiopsis gilletii De Wild. & T.Durand, Mozambique.
Source:
SSTA

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

Benth.
Description:
Lianes with slender stems. Leaves simple, clothed with long, stiff, spreading hairs; petiole slender. Inflorescence: flowers axillary, solitary or paired. Male flowers: sepals 9, inner 3 connate into a pseudocorolla, outer 6 much smaller than inner ones; petals 6; stamens 6-9, connate at base, outer 3(6) much shorter than inner ones, anthers with suboblique dehiscence. Female flowers: sepals and petals as in male; staminodes 0; carpels 15-20. Drupe obovoid to ellipsoid; endocarp crustaceous, velutinous; condyle lamelliform. Seeds: endosperm absent; embryo curved, cotyledons thick, appressed, unequal.
Distribution:
Monotypic: Synclisia scabrida Miers, C Africa; sthn trop. Afr.: Angola.
Source:
SSTA

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

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