Zaleya pentandra (L.) C.Jeffrey

Global description

Zaleya pentandra is an herbaceous annual to shortly perennial plant, prostrate or rarely erect. The thick stems, which are more or less succulent, are papillose and rough. The leaves are simple, opposite and unequal, carried by a more or less sheathing, membranous petiole. The blade is obovate to elliptic, rounded at the top and in corner at the base, margin entire, glabrous, papillose. The flowers are grouped in glomeruli of small sessile cymes of 2 to 5 flowers in the axils of leaves. The calyx is persistent, becoming accrescent with short tube, topped with 6 lobes having white margin. The fruit is a capsule (Pyxis) containing 4 round black seeds.
 
General habit
 
Zaleya pentandra is a diffuse prostrate species, sometimes ascending at the end of the stem. It forms a patch of about 60 cm radius.
 
Underground system
 
The plant has a taproot system.
 
Stem
 
The stem is cylindrical, solid, somewhat succulent, glabrous and papillose, giving it a rough touch; it is often tinged with red. It measures up to 60 cm long.
 
Leaf
 
The leaves are simple, opposite, of unequal size on the same pair. They are carried by a petiole, 8 to 11 mm long, membranous margin, sheathing at the base. The blade measures 1 to 3.5 cm long and 0.4 to 1.5 cm wide. It is oblong, obovate to elliptical, with rounded apex, wedged base and entire margin. The faces are glabrous, papillose, dark green in colour.
 
Inflorescence
 
The flowers are grouped in glomeruli of small sessile cymes of 2 to 5 flowers at the axils of leaves. Bract solitary, oval lanceolate, 3 mm long.
 
Flower
 
Flowers are subtended by unequal, scarious bracts. The persistent and accrescent calyx consists of a short tube, 2 mm long, ending with 6 lobes, narrowly ovate, acute, with white margin and carrying a dorsal mucro almost at the top. The corolla is absent. The outer face is papillose, green veined with pink. The five stamens are alternate with the sepals; they are slender with a 2 mm long filament, with yellow anthers. The ovary, ob-pyramidal, 2 mm long, is mounted by two linear styles, 1 to 2 mm long. It is carmine red or decorated with a red furrow between the loculus.
 
Fruit
 
The fruit is a dehiscent capsule, opening longitudinally (Pyxis), 1.4 to 5 mm long, truncated at the top and quite angular, with irregular edge at the top. It contains 4 seeds. The wall is papillose.
 
Seed
 
The seeds are circular, more or less flattened, 1.5 mm in diameter with carved tegument, of black color.
 

Origin

Zaleya pentandra originated in Africa
 
Geographical distribution

It is present everywhere in Africa, in India, Iran, western Pakistan and Madagascar. It is rare in Reunion.
 

https://www.gbif.org/fr/species/7329156