genus descriptions: SSTAs

Caucanthus

Forssk.
Description:
Woody climbers; younger stems densely covered with short soft white sericeous hairs, older ones very finely pubescent or glabrescent. Leaves spirally arranged or opposite, ovate-cordate, pubescent or glabrescent above, grey-tomentose beneath and with 2 large glands near base (usually concealed by indumentum); petiole densely sericeous, usually with 2 small glands above middle; stipules very small, deciduous. Inflorescences racemose or corymbose-paniculate, axillary or terminal. Flowers regular, bisexual, evil-smelling; bracts ovate; bracteoles lanceolate or linear-subulate. Sepals broadly ovate with a narrowed base, sericeous outside; without glands. Petals shortly unguiculate, carinate, subhastate at base, glabrous, margins wholly or partially fimbriate. Stamens glabrous, with dorsifixed, subversatile, oblong anthers; filaments somewhat fleshy. Ovary densely sericeous; styles fairly stout, truncate, shorter than, as long as or slightly exceeding stamens. Fruit with lateral wing completely surrounding nut, oblong-elliptic, entire; dorsal wing absent.
Distribution:
Species 3, E and NE Africa to Arabian Peninsula; sthn trop. Afr. 1: Caucanthusauriculatus (Radlk.) Niedenzu, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique.
Source:
SSTA

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

Cav.
Description:
Woody climbers up to 15 m long. Leaves opposite, simple, petiolate, entire; stipules absent. Flowers regular, in many-flowered terminal or axillary panicled racemes, white or cream. Sepals 5, valvate, closed over petals in bud, eglandular. Petals 5, not clawed, entire, glabrous Stamens 10, all bearing anthers; filaments free or somewhat connate at very base; anthers basifixed, elliptic or oblong. Ovary 3-locular, densely pilose; styles 3, much longer than stamens. Fruit a samara with 2 lateral wings connate at base and distinct at top.
Distribution:
Monotypic genus: Flabellaria paniculata Cav., trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr.: Angola, Zambia.
Source:
SSTA

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

Kunth
Description:
Shrubs or lianes. Leaves opposite, simple, petiolate, entire, base of lamina and/or petiole usually glandular; stipules indistinct. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, generally paniculate; bracts and bracteoles persistent. Sepals 5, each with 2 dorsal glands, or 1 without glands. Petals 5, unguiculate, usually entire and glabrous. Stamens 10, all fertile, glabrous; filaments fused at base; anthers basifixed. Ovary 3-locular; styles free; laterally compressed; stigmas terminal, in lateral, inside position. Fruit consisting of (1-)3 samaroid mericarps, each with a dorsal suborbicular wing.
Distribution:
Monotypic genus: Heteropterys leona (Cav.) Exell, W Africa; sthn trop. Afr.: Angola.
Source:
SSTA

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

Engler
Description:
Dioecious climbing shrubs; branches hirsute. Leaves alternate, entire, shortly petiolate, penninerved. Inflorescences: male and female in loose spikes or racemes arranged in fascicles on cushions at nodes of older branches; bracts small. Male flowers: 5- or 6-merous; calyx cup-shaped, shortly toothed; petals valvate, coiled outwards before anthesis; stamens with filiform filaments +/- as long as linear anthers; disc present or absent. Female flowers similar to male ones but disc always absent; ovary 1-locular, oblong-ovate, stigma sessile, discoid. Fruit an ellipsoid, +/- flattened drupe; endocarp crustaceous, verrucose to smooth inside. Seed often pitted; endosperm markedly mottled.
Distribution:
Species 5, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 2, Angola.
Source:
SSTA
Synonym(s):
Neostachyanthus Exell & Mendonca: 111 (1951a); Exell & Mendonca: 344 (1951b).

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

Hook.f.
Description:
Trees, sometimes very tall. Leaves papyraceous to coriaceous; stipules mostly shorter than 40 mm. Flowers bisexual or sometimes unisexual by abortion. Sepals small, free or slightly united at base. Petals spreading, much longer than sepals. Stamens with free filaments. Ovary 2-locular, slightly sunk into disc, +/- globular. Fruit a +/- ellipsoid drupe, containing 1(2) woody pyrene(s) by abortion; pyrene ellipsoidal, 1-seeded; endosperm almost absent to copious.
Distribution:
Species 7, 6 in humid W and C Africa, 1 in SE Asia; sthn trop. Afr. 5, Angola.
Source:
SSTA

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

Pierre ex Engl.
Description:
Trees, often very tall; young trees armed with spines up to 100 mm long. Leaves coriaceous; stipules usually longer than 50 mm, falcate. Flowers bisexual. Sepals free, ovate. Petals elliptic, 2 or 3 times as long as calyx. Stamens (9)10, antepetalous ones shorter than antesepalous ones; pollen with polar triangle. Ovary (4)5-locular, slightly sunk into fleshy disc. Fruit a depressed, hard, +/- distinctly (4)5-lobed drupe containing (4)5 hard, 1-seeded pyrenes, irregularly shaped with processes, free or centripetally fused. Seeds: endosperm copious.
Distribution:
Species 2, forested region of W and C Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 1: Klainedoxa gabonensis Pierre ex Engl., Angola, Zambia.
Source:
SSTA

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

Klotzsch
Description:
Description as for family.
Distribution:
Species 5, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 3, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique.
Source:
SSTA
Synonym(s):
Ochthocosmus Benth. in part, as to African species; Winkler: 123 (1931); Exell & Mendonca: 105 (1951a); Exell & Mendonca: 246 (1951b); Keay: 355 (1958); White: 167 (1962); Robson: 100 (1963); Phiri (Unpublished) under Irvingiaceae.

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

Blume
Description:
Perennial herbs or subshrubs; stems quadrangular to subterete. Leaves petiolate, thin, crenate. Inflorescences of small flowers in dense, terminal or lateral spike-like panicles; bracts ovate, sessile, membranous, ciliate, much smaller than leaves, persistent. Calyx: tube subcylindric to funnel-shaped, 10-nerved; teeth 5, subequal, herbaceous, not rigid. Corolla: tube funnel-shaped to cylindric; limb bilabiate, upper lip short, curved, lower lip longer, deflexed, 3-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, curved, lowest pair the longest; anther thecae distinct or confluent. Style bifid at apex. Nutlets obovoid, reticulate, scaly at apex.
Distribution:
Species +/- 25, tropical and subtropical Old World; sthn trop. Afr. 7, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique; fide Chikuni (1995) also in sthn Afr.
Source:
SSTA

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

G.Taylor
Description:
Perennial marsh herbs with erect, simple to sparsely branched glabrous stems. Leaves opposite, narrowly lanceolate to linear, narrowing very gradually into a short petiole, +/- entire but shallowly dentate towards tip, acute, glabrous on both sides but with glandular dots. Inflorescences terminal, with numerous 4-6-flowered verticils densely to loosely arranged on a simple straight rachis; bracts sessile, broadly ovate. Calyx tubular at flowering time, 10-nerved with 5 +/- equal, short, triangular teeth; accrescent and narrowly campanulate in fruit. Corolla 2-lipped; tube much longer than calyx, widening slightly towards the mouth; posterior lobe 3-fid, anterior lobe entire, slightly concave. Stamens 4, declinate, shortly exserted; anterior stamens arising at corolla throat; posterior ones at midpoint of corolla; filaments free. Style slightly exserted, ending in 2 short, flattened, rounded lobes.
Distribution:
Monotypic genus: Benguellia lanceolata (Gurke) G.Taylor, known only from Angola.
Source:
SSTA
Synonym(s):
Orthosiphon lanceolatus Gurke: 360 (1903).

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

T.C.E.Fr.
Description:
Perennial herbs with a woody rootstock or subshrubs, glandular pubescent; stem erect to ascending, quadrangular at least in younger parts. Leaves opposite or 3- or 4-nate, sessile or shortly petiolate. Inflorescences simple, terminal or axillary racemes with flowers arranged in 2-4-flowered verticils; flowers pedicellate. Calyx 2-lipped, shortly tubular, small and semi-erect during flowering, accrescent and declinate in fruit; upper lip broad, ovate, shortly decurrent, lower lip 2- or 4-lobed, lobes deltoid to subulate. Corolla 2-lipped; tube straight, not or only slightly exserted from calyx tube; upper lip 4-lobed, lower lip horizontal or deflexed, slightly concave, +/- as long as upper one; bracts subtending a single flower. Stamens 4, declinate, but posterior 2 sterile, arising near midpoint of corolla; anterior 2 fertile, arising near corolla throat; filaments free; anthers dorsifixed, synthecate, held within basal part of corolla lip. Ovary 4-lobed; style curved, 2-lobed at apex. Nutlets basifixed, surrounded by a 4-lobed disc.
Distribution:
Species +/- 9, trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. 6, Angola, Zambia. Very close to Orthosiphon and perhaps best recognised as a section within O. subgenus Orthosiphon (Paton 1993: 130).
Source:
SSTA

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

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