Home | > | List of families | > | Rubiaceae | > | Gardenia | > | brachythamnus |
Synonyms: |
Coffea angolensis R.D.Good Randia brachythamnus K.Schum. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Small shrub or subshrub 15–60(100) cm tall, with decumbent or erect divaricate shoots from a long many-headed rhizome. Leaves sessile, paired, borne on very abbreviated lateral shoots and appearing fascicled and also on normal expanded branches, 1–3.5(5.5) × 0.4–0.9(1.6) cm, oblong, oblanceolate to obovate or elliptic, obtuse to acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, pubescent above and on margins and main nerves beneath, at length glabrescent. Flowers terminal, solitary; pedicels very short. Calyx tube 2 mm long, pubescent; limb-tube 2 mm long, pubescent; lobes 5, 2–4 × 1.2 mm, narrowly triangular to lanceolate. Corolla white, turning yellow?; tube sometimes greenish, slender, 1.4–2 cm long, up to 4 mm wide at the throat, subcylindrical to narrowly funnel-shaped, at least above, glabrous to hispidulous outside, densely shortly pubescent inside; lobes 5, 9–17 × 3.5–6.5 mm, oblong to obovate, ± obtuse, glabrous or nearly so. Fruit 1–1.5 × 0.7–1.25 cm, broadly ellipsoid or ovoid, crowned with the persistent calyx. Seeds c. 4 per locule, densely immersed in the fleshy placenta, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, ovate or elliptic, dorsiventrally flattened. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | brachythamnus: Greek for short bush or short shrub, in reference to its habit. |
Habitat: | |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | Oct - Jan |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe |
Zimbabwe distribution: | W |
Growth form(s): | Shrub under 2 m. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Bridson, D.M. & Verdcourt, B. (2003). Rubiaceae, Part 3 Flora Zambesiaca 5(3) Page 667. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 72. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 97. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 223. |
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