Zehneria microsperma Hook. f.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Khodzue Gorge, Cheringoma

Photo: Bart Wursten
Slopes of Mt Bunga, northwestern Gorongosa National Park.

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Synonyms:	Melothria microsperma (Hook. f.) Cogn.
Common names:
Frequency:	Very rare.
Status:	Native?
Description:	Slender climber with mostly hairless stems and simple tendrils. Leaves unlobed, ovate, 2-7.5 cm long, broadly cordate at the base, finely punctate above, hairless except for a few setulae on the veins beneath; margin with prominent sinuate teeth; petiole 0.7- 5.2 cm long, mostly hairless. Flowers unisexual on the same plant, small, creamy-white; petals 1.5-2.5 mm long. Male flowers solitary or in axillary clusters of up to 10 flowers, sometimes with 1-2 female flowers. Female flowers solitary or as part of a mostly male cluster. Fruit globose, 8-10 mm in diameter, hairless, on pedicels 4-14 mm long.
Notes:	Apparently recorded only once in Zimbabwe (per FZ and SRGH) from Ferny Creek, an Eastern Highlands outlier. However, there are no records from the Eastern division.
Derivation of specific name:	microsperma:with very small seeds.
Habitat:	In forest and woodland.
Altitude range: (metres)	1200 m (approx)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Only known from Malawi and Mozambique and a single, anomalous record from Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe distribution:	C
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:	Sunday 12 November 2017
Literature:	Jeffrey, C. (1978). Cucurbitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Pages 479 - 480. 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 39.

Other sources of information about Zehneria microsperma:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Zehneria microsperma
Flora of Mozambique: Zehneria microsperma

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Zehneria microsperma
African Plant Database: Zehneria microsperma
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Zehneria microsperma
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Zehneria microsperma
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Zehneria microsperma
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Zehneria microsperma
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Zehneria microsperma
JSTOR Plant Science: Zehneria microsperma
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Zehneria microsperma
Plants of the World Online: Zehneria microsperma
Tropicos: Zehneria microsperma
Wikipedia: Zehneria microsperma