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MALPIGHIACEAE

Triaspis

Burch.

Source:

SSA

Description:

Scandent shrubs with twining stems, sometimes erect shrubs. Leaves opposite, rarely ternate, with or without minute glands on lamina; stipules absent. Flowers in axillary corymbose racemes. Calyx 5-lobed. Petals concave, shortly unguiculate, pink to purplish, margin fimbriate: 1 petal fimbriate along whole margin, 1 petal fimbriate at base only, 3 petals fimbriate along one side. Stamens: filaments often slightly unequal, free. Ovary 3-locular, hairy or glabrous; styles 3, curved; stigmas lateral. Fruit separable, breaking up into (2)3 shield- or saucershaped samaras with lateral wing and usually a dorsal crest. Seeds globose or ellipsoid. x = 10.

Distribution:

Species +/- 12, all African; 2 in sthn Afr., widespread, but not often abundant, Namibia, Botswana, Northern Province, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Swaziland and Northern Cape.

Sphedamnocarpus

Planch. ex Hook.f.

Source:

SSA

Description:

Scandent shrubs or climbers. Leaves opposite, ternate or rarely subopposite, with 2 stalked glands slightly above or below apex of petiole; stipules present. Flowers +/- regular, in few-flowered axillary umbels terminating in leafy branches, rarely solitary. Calyx 5-partite. Petals caducous, yellow to orange, unguiculate, entire to slightly fimbriate. Stamens 10; filaments somewhat broadened and connate at base. Ovary 3(4)-locular, with dorsal wing usually hairy; styles 3(4); stigmas thickened. Fruit breaking into 3(4) samaras. x = 10.

Distribution:

Species l2, southern tropical and subtropical Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius; 1 in sthn Afr.: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens (Juss.) Szysyl., with 2 subspecies, Namibia, Botswana, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal.

Acridocarpus

Guill. & Perr.

Source:

SSA

Description:

Shrubs, woody climbers, or scramblers. Leaves usually alternate, entire or sinuate, usually with glands at base beneath; stipules absent. Flowers regular, in dense terminal racemes. Calyx 5-lobed, usually with 1 or more sunken glands on outside. Petals free, unguiculate, entire or slightly fimbriate, yellow. Stamens: filaments short, free or nearly so; anthers opening by short pore-like slit at apex. Ovary 3-locular, 1 locule abortive; styles 2, curved upwards. Fruit breaking into 2, dorsally winged samaras. x = 9.

Distribution:

Species +/- 30, all tropical and subtropical Africa, with one each in Madagascar and New Caledonia; 1 in sthn Afr.: Acridocarpus natalitius Juss. with two varieties, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.

Tristellateia

Thouars

Description:

Woody climbers, younger stems usually greyish-pubescent, older ones glabrous, densely lenticellate. Leaves opposite, ovate or broadly elliptic, entire, with two glands near apex of petiole; stipules very small. Inflorescence racemose, terminal; many-flowered; pedicels articulated, 2-bracteolate. Flowers regular, bisexual. Sepals oblong, sericeous outside, persistent. Petals oblong, shortly unguiculate, carinate, entire, bright yellow. Stamens with glabrous basifixed anthers; filaments of outer whorl longer and broader at base. Ovary globose; only 1 (very seldom 2) styles fully developed, terete. Fruit subligneous; lateral wing divided into 6 oblanceolate-linear, usually denticulate lobes, dorsal crest with a spine 8-10 mm long. Seeds subglobose, with a short acumen formed by the radicle.

Distribution:

Species 22, mainly in Madagascar, but with 1 species known from SE Asia and 1 from the African continent: Tristellateia africana S.Moore; in sthn trop. Afr. only in Mozambique.

Source:

SSTA

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

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

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

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MALPIGHIACEAE