You are here
Taxonomy
Tricalysia achoundongiana Robbr., Sonké & Kenfack
Nomenclature
-
Family: RubiaceaeGenus: Tricalysia
Media
SUMMARY
Shrub up to 10 m tall; young twigs puberulous. Leaves with interpetiolar stipules triangular, fused at base, protruded into an awn up to 10 mm long, puberulous outside; petioles up to 12 mm long, puberulous; leaf-blades elliptic or lanceolate, 14-18.5 × 5-9 cm, glabrous except for the midrib puberulous above and beneath, papyraceous, base cuneate, apex acuminate, acumen 9-11 mm long; lateral nerves 5-6 on each side of the midrib; intersecondaries few, difficulty visible, parallel and ± perpendicular to lateral nerves. Inflorescences 3-flowered, sessile, congested; bracts and bracteoles fused into cups (‘‘calyculi’’), sitting in one another, the upper ones embracing the ovaries; 1-2(-4)-toothed or truncate cups per flower, and a basal 4-toothed cup embracing the flower triplet; calyculi puberulous outside and covered with colleters inside. Flowers 5-6-merous, sessile. Calyx puberulous outside and covered with colleters inside, tube 2.5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, with (4-)5-6 short triangular teeth. Corolla white, sparsely hairy in- and outside; tube c. 4 mm long; lobes c. 3.5 mm long, withtriangular tip. Stamens attached to throat; anthers subsessile with their bases included, c. 3.3 mm long, each with a shortly triangular, hairy, apical, sterile appendage. Ovary pubescent, more densely than the calyx, with two 4-ovulate placentas; style pubescent, c. 5 mm long except its lobes 1 mm long. Fruits ± spherical, 1.8 cm in diameter, sparsely pubescent, colour at complete maturity unknown; calyx withered, leaving a conspicuous scar on top; seeds four, ± having the shape of a quarter of a sphere, up to 8 mm long, with long comma-shaped hilum; coat glossy, chestnut brown.