Euphorbiaceae
Erythrococca

Erythrococca berberidea Prain

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1911: 92 (1911)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania (Uzaramo), Mozambique to KwaZulu-Natal. It is a scrambling shrub or tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit
A straggly or scandent shrub or small tree 2.5–5 m. tall.
Morphology General Bark
Bark ± smooth.
Morphology Twigs
Twigs pale yellowish grey, lenticellate.
Morphology General Shoots
Young shoots and petioles sparingly pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Petioles 4–6 mm. long; leaf-blades elliptic-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, (3–)4–8 cm. long, (1–)1.5–3 cm. wide, acute, subacute or obtuse, cuneate, coarsely crenate-serrate, firmly chartaceous, lateral nerves 4 pairs, commonly looped within the margin, slightly prominent above and beneath, subglabrous above, sparingly pubescent along the midrib and main nerves and otherwise subglabrous beneath.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules thorny, 3–4 mm. long, straight or slightly curved, arising from an elongate spine-shield, strongly accrescent, yellowish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Male inflorescences interruptedly racemose, with the flowers in clusters along the axis, 2–4 cm. long; peduncles and axis sparingly pubescent or subglabrous; bracts ovate, 0.5 mm. long. Female inflorescences few-flowered, 1.5–3 cm. long; peduncle and axis glabrous or subglabrous; bracts triangular ovate, 1 mm. long, acute, ciliate; bract-groups 1-flowered.
sex Male
Male inflorescences interruptedly racemose, with the flowers in clusters along the axis, 2–4 cm. long; peduncles and axis sparingly pubescent or subglabrous; bracts ovate, 0.5 mm. long. Male flowers:pedicels slender, flexuous, extending to 1–1.5 cm. at anthesis, sparingly pubescent to subglabrous, articulate near the base; calyx-lobes 4–5, ovate, 1 mm. long, 0.7 mm. wide, acute, glabrous, whitish or yellowish; extrastaminal disc-glands 5, flattened, rounded, ciliate; interstaminal glands several, flattened, ciliate; stamens (15–)16–17(–18), usually with 9–10 peripheral and 7 central, 0.5 mm. long, anthers white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers:pedicels 3 mm. long, articulate near the base, ± glabrous; calyx-lobes 3, ovate, 1.5 mm. long and broad, subacute or obtuse, ciliate; disc-glands 3, triangular-ovate, 1 mm. long, petaloid; ovary trilobate, 1 mm. diameter, sparingly pubescent to subglabrous; styles free, ± 1 mm. long, spreading, stigmas fimbriate-laciniate throughout. Male flowers:pedicels slender, flexuous, extending to 1–1.5 cm. at anthesis, sparingly pubescent to subglabrous, articulate near the base; calyx-lobes 4–5, ovate, 1 mm. long, 0.7 mm. wide, acute, glabrous, whitish or yellowish; extrastaminal disc-glands 5, flattened, rounded, ciliate; interstaminal glands several, flattened, ciliate; stamens (15–)16–17(–18), usually with 9–10 peripheral and 7 central, 0.5 mm. long, anthers white.
sex Female
Female flowers:pedicels 3 mm. long, articulate near the base, ± glabrous; calyx-lobes 3, ovate, 1.5 mm. long and broad, subacute or obtuse, ciliate; disc-glands 3, triangular-ovate, 1 mm. long, petaloid; ovary trilobate, 1 mm. diameter, sparingly pubescent to subglabrous; styles free, ± 1 mm. long, spreading, stigmas fimbriate-laciniate throughout. Female inflorescences few-flowered, 1.5–3 cm. long; peduncle and axis glabrous or subglabrous; bracts triangular ovate, 1 mm. long, acute, ciliate; bract-groups 1-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit sometimes tricoccous, more often by abortion di- or monococcous, the cocci 4.5–5 mm. diameter, glabrous or subglabrous, green.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 4 mm. diameter, shallowly minutely foveolate, aril orange.
Habitat
Locally common in lowland dry evergreen forest; 230 m.
Distribution
T6
[FTEA]

Euphorbiaceae, A. Radcliffe-Smith. Flora Zambesiaca 9:4. 1996

Morphology General Habit
A shrub to c. 3 m tall.
Morphology Twigs
Twigs pale grey.
Morphology General Indumentum
Young growth sparingly pubescent to subglabrous.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petioles 4–7 mm long.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf blades 2–7.5 × 1–2.5 cm, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, acute or subacute at the apex, shallowly and indistinctly glandular-serrate on the margin, cuneate and eglandular at the base, chartaceous, sparingly pubescent along the midrib beneath, otherwise glabrous, drying greenish or brownish; lateral nerves in 3–4 pairs, looped within the margin, scarcely prominent above or beneath.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules 1–3 mm long, thorn-like, conical, straight or slightly curved, accrescent, stramineous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers: pedicels up to c. 1 cm long at anthesis, capillary, subglabrous; buds 1–1.5 mm in diameter, oblate, apiculate, basally truncate, glabrous; calyx lobes 3–4, 2 × 1.5 mm, ovate, obtuse or shortly acuminate, pale green; disk glands numerous, 5 of which are extrastaminal, the remainder interstaminal, flattened, rounded, ciliate; stamens 15–18, comprising 8–10 outer, and the rest central, filaments very short, anthers minute, white. Female flowers: pedicels 2–3 mm long, jointed near the base, glabrous; calyx lobes 3, c. 1 × 1 mm, ovate, subacute, ciliate, green; disk glands 3, petaloid, c. 1 × 0.5 mm, oblong-lanceolate, rounded; ovary 1 mm in diameter, 3-lobed, sparingly pubescent to subglabrous, green; styles 3, united at the base, 1–1.5 mm long, reflexed-spreading, stigmas laciniate.
sex Male
Male flowers: pedicels up to c. 1 cm long at anthesis, capillary, subglabrous; buds 1–1.5 mm in diameter, oblate, apiculate, basally truncate, glabrous; calyx lobes 3–4, 2 × 1.5 mm, ovate, obtuse or shortly acuminate, pale green; disk glands numerous, 5 of which are extrastaminal, the remainder interstaminal, flattened, rounded, ciliate; stamens 15–18, comprising 8–10 outer, and the rest central, filaments very short, anthers minute, white. Male inflorescences 2–4 cm long with peduncles 1–1.5 cm long, interruptedly racemose, glabrous or subglabrous; bracts c. 1 mm long, triangular, persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Female inflorescences 1.5–3 cm long, the peduncles c. 1.5 cm long, few-flowered, glabrous; bracts ± as in male. Male inflorescences 2–4 cm long with peduncles 1–1.5 cm long, interruptedly racemose, glabrous or subglabrous; bracts c. 1 mm long, triangular, persistent.
sex Female
Female inflorescences 1.5–3 cm long, the peduncles c. 1.5 cm long, few-flowered, glabrous; bracts ± as in male. Female flowers: pedicels 2–3 mm long, jointed near the base, glabrous; calyx lobes 3, c. 1 × 1 mm, ovate, subacute, ciliate, green; disk glands 3, petaloid, c. 1 × 0.5 mm, oblong-lanceolate, rounded; ovary 1 mm in diameter, 3-lobed, sparingly pubescent to subglabrous, green; styles 3, united at the base, 1–1.5 mm long, reflexed-spreading, stigmas laciniate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 5 × 9 mm, tricoccous, or di- or monococcous by abortion, glabrescent, green at first, drying purplish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 4 mm in diameter, shallowly foveolate-reticulate, aril orange.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179317/1575069

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0