Tristellateia africana S. Moore

Woody climber up to 5 m. or more in length; younger stems usually greyish-pubescent, older ones glabrous, densely lenticellate. Leaf-lamina ovate or broadly elliptic, 4.5-9.5 x 3.5-5 cm., acute or obtuse, rounded or cordate at the base, coriaceous to chartaceous, glabrous (younger ones sometimes +/- sericeous); petiole 1.5-3 cm. long, with a pair of glands near apex. Inflorescence 5-12 cm. long, many-flowered; pedicels 5-18 mm. long, decussate, distinctly articulate; bracts linear-lanceolate, 2-3 mm. long; bracteoles very short, subulate. Flowers 2.3-2.5 cm. in diameter. Sepals oblong, 4-5 mm. long, sericeous outside. Petals bright yellow, oblanceolate to oblong, 10-12 mm. long, rounded at apex, cordate or subsagittate at base, shortly clawed. Anthers linear, 3-4 mm. long, orange; filaments glabrous, somewhat incurved. Samara 1.5-2 cm. in diameter; lateral wing divided into 6 oblanceolate-linear usually denticulate lobes; dorsal crest with a spine 8-10 mm. long. Fig. 3.