Home | > | List of families | > | Cucurbitaceae | > | Oreosyce | > | africana |
Synonyms: |
Cucumis cecilii N.E. Br. Cucumis subsericeus Hook. f. Oreosyce triangularis Cogn. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Prostrate creeper or climber with simple tendrils. Stems, petioles and tendrils with rough, backwardly pointed, bristly hairs. Leaves up to 10 × 9.5 cm, triangular, to broadly ovate in outline, unlobed or fairly shallowly 3(5) lobed, more or less densely covered in bristly hairs on both surfaces, especially on the veins; lobes usually triangular; margins with small sinuate teeth; petiole 2.5-11.5 cm long. Flowers unisexual on the same plant, up to 1-2 cm in diameter, pale yellow. Male flowers in 3-6-flowered axillary clusters. Female flowers solitary on pedicels 3-10 mm long; ovary densely bristly hairy. Fruit ovoid to ellipsoid, 1.5-2.7 cm long, tuberculate, usually with a short beak, green or yellow. |
Notes: | In SRGH on 27 Jun 2007, there was one record from the northern division (Urungwe, Msukwe River), three records from Matopos (Besna Kobila etc.) and numerous records from the E division. It looks like a basically E Highlands species which also occurs in two outliers (but is some part of Urungwe an outlier??). |
Derivation of specific name: | africana: African |
Habitat: | Along margins of forest. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 800 - 2100 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, DRC, Bioko, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mpumalanga, South Africa. Also in Madagascar. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,E |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Thursday 26 April 2012 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 135. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 27. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 51. Jeffrey, C. (1978). Cucurbitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Pages 471 - 472. (Includes a picture). Jeffrey, C. & Fernandes, R.B. (1986). 80. Cucurbitaceae Flora de Moçambique Junta de Investigaçoes de Ultramar, Centro de Botanica Page 82. 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 38. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 45. Reekmans, M. (1983). Cucurbitaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume II Page 465. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 53. |
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