Home | > | List of families | > | Cucurbitaceae | > | Raphidiocystis | > | chrysocoma |
Synonyms: |
Cucumis chrysocomus Schumach. Raphidiocystis caillei Hutch & Dalziel Raphidiocystis welwitschii Hook. f. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Very rare and local in Zimbabwe. |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Climbing herb. Stems up to 6 m long with simple tendrils. Leaves simple, ovate in outline, up to 13 × 9 cm leaflets, unlobed to shallowly 3-5-lobed, cordate at the base, variously hairy; margin with widely separated small teeth. Flowers unisexual, yellow; male flowers in 4-6-flowered clusters, female clusters 1-2-flowered on longer peduncles. Fruit subspherical to ellipsoid, up to 5 × 3.5 cm, densely covered with long spreading, reddish-yellow to reddish-brown bristles. |
Notes: | Only known from one record on the Rusitu River (Wild 5734, 24-03-1962, COI, K, SRGH). |
Derivation of specific name: | chrysocoma: with golden hair (referring to the fruits) |
Habitat: | Occurring in riverine and evergreen forest. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 300 m (approx) |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | From Guinée to Togo, Angola, DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | 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: | Saturday 8 August 2009 |
Literature: |
Jeffrey, C. (1978). Cucurbitaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Pages 440 - 442. (Includes a picture). 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. |
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