Euphorbiaceae
Neoboutonia

Neoboutonia melleri (Müll.Arg.) Prain

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1911: 266 (1911)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
A spreading tree up to 15 m. tall but more commonly 6–8 m.
Morphology General Bark
Bark fairly smooth, lenticellate, sometimes sparingly warty, grey.
Morphology Twigs
Young twigs evenly to sparingly scurfily fulvous stellate-pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Petioles (1–)10–17(–25) cm. long, indumented as the twigs; leaf-blade broadly ovate to suborbicular, 5–25 cm. long and wide, subacute, obtuse or rounded at the apex, truncate to deeply cordate at the base, entire, chartaceous, 7–9-nerved from the base, lateral nerves 4–6(–7) pairs, midrib and main nerves not prominent above, prominent beneath, sparingly scurfily stellate-pubescent, rarely glabrous or hirsute, above, densely and continuously whitish velvety stellate-tomentose beneath, minutely gland-dotted above and beneath.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules ovate-lanceolate, 4–5 mm. long, acute, evenly scurfily stellate-pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Male inflorescences up to 40 cm. long and 30 cm. wide, much-branched, often leafy at the base; axes sparingly to evenly scurfily stellate-pubescent; bracts broadly ovate, 1 mm. long, subacute, densely pubescent, 4–6-flowered. Female inflorescences up to 30 cm. long and 10 cm. wide, stiffly erect, less branched than the ♂, otherwise similar; bracts 2 mm. long, 1–3-flowered.
sex Male
Male inflorescences up to 40 cm. long and 30 cm. wide, much-branched, often leafy at the base; axes sparingly to evenly scurfily stellate-pubescent; bracts broadly ovate, 1 mm. long, subacute, densely pubescent, 4–6-flowered. Male flowers:pedicels up to 1 mm. long, glabrous; sepals 2–3, broadly ovate to suborbicular, 1.5 mm. long, 1.3 mm. wide, obtuse, ± glabrous, pale yellow; disc-glands 8–10, conical, irregularly connate at the base; stamens 15–30, 1.5 mm. long, anthers 0.75 mm. long, with (1–)3 small apical glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers:pedicels stout, 2 mm. long, densely pubescent; calyx-lobes 5, subequal, oblong, 2 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, not accrescent, thick, reflexed, densely velutinous without, glabrous or subglabrous within, 3-nerved without, smooth within; disc annular, crenulate; ovary 3(–4)-lobate, 1.5 mm. long, 2 mm. diameter, densely stellate-pubescent; styles 2 mm. long, pubescent without, glabrous within. Male flowers:pedicels up to 1 mm. long, glabrous; sepals 2–3, broadly ovate to suborbicular, 1.5 mm. long, 1.3 mm. wide, obtuse, ± glabrous, pale yellow; disc-glands 8–10, conical, irregularly connate at the base; stamens 15–30, 1.5 mm. long, anthers 0.75 mm. long, with (1–)3 small apical glands.
sex Female
Female flowers:pedicels stout, 2 mm. long, densely pubescent; calyx-lobes 5, subequal, oblong, 2 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide, not accrescent, thick, reflexed, densely velutinous without, glabrous or subglabrous within, 3-nerved without, smooth within; disc annular, crenulate; ovary 3(–4)-lobate, 1.5 mm. long, 2 mm. diameter, densely stellate-pubescent; styles 2 mm. long, pubescent without, glabrous within. Female inflorescences up to 30 cm. long and 10 cm. wide, stiffly erect, less branched than the ♂, otherwise similar; bracts 2 mm. long, 1–3-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits 3(–4)-lobate, 5–8(–10) mm. long, 8–13 mm. diameter, usually evenly scurfily stellate-pubescent and hirsute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid, 6–7 mm. long, 5 mm. wide, brownish, with a small caruncle.
Habitat
Groundwater forest, generally along rivers or around lakes and swamps; 1140–1850 m.
Distribution
from Nigeria eastwards to the southern Sudan and south to Angola and Mozambique K5 K6 T1 T4 T7 U1 U2 U3 U4
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/144267813/149033685

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
A several-stemmed tree up to 6–12(15) m in height.
Morphology General Bark
Bark smooth, grey-brown.
Morphology General Wood
Wood pithy, soft.
Morphology Twigs
Twigs and petioles scurfily stellate-pubescent.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petioles 2–10 cm long.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf blade (5)10–20 cm long and wide, broadly ovate-suborbicular, shortly acutely or subacutely acuminate to obtuse at the apex, subtruncate to deeply cordate at the base, entire, scabrid and dull green on upper surface, ± uniformly greyish-stellate-tomentose beneath, and minutely gland-dotted beneath; main nerves 7–9 from the base, lateral nerves in 5–8 pairs.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules 4 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, pubescent.
sex Male
Male flowers: pedicels 0.5–1 mm long, glabrous; buds globose, ± glabrous except at the apex; calyx lobes 1.5 mm long, broadly ovate to suborbicular, yellowish; disk glands 8–10, conical; stamens 15–30, 1.5 mm long, anthers 0.75 mm long, pale yellow. Male inflorescences 30–40 × 30 cm, with leaf-like bracts at the base; axes pubescent; upper bracts 1 mm long, ovate, 4–6-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Female inflorescences 20–30 × 10–15 cm; bracts 2 mm long, 1–3-flowered; otherwise as in the male. Male inflorescences 30–40 × 30 cm, with leaf-like bracts at the base; axes pubescent; upper bracts 1 mm long, ovate, 4–6-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers: pedicels stout, 2 mm long, pubescent; calyx lobes 2–3 mm long, longer than the calyx tube, not or scarcely accrescent, oblong, 3-nerved, thick, reflexed, velutinous; disk crenulate; ovary 2 mm in diameter, 3-lobed (rarely 4-lobed), densely pubescent; styles 2 mm long, pubescent abaxially. Male flowers: pedicels 0.5–1 mm long, glabrous; buds globose, ± glabrous except at the apex; calyx lobes 1.5 mm long, broadly ovate to suborbicular, yellowish; disk glands 8–10, conical; stamens 15–30, 1.5 mm long, anthers 0.75 mm long, pale yellow.
sex Female
Female flowers: pedicels stout, 2 mm long, pubescent; calyx lobes 2–3 mm long, longer than the calyx tube, not or scarcely accrescent, oblong, 3-nerved, thick, reflexed, velutinous; disk crenulate; ovary 2 mm in diameter, 3-lobed (rarely 4-lobed), densely pubescent; styles 2 mm long, pubescent abaxially. Female inflorescences 20–30 × 10–15 cm; bracts 2 mm long, 1–3-flowered; otherwise as in the male.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits 6–10 × 7–12 mm, 3-lobed (rarely 4-lobed), scurfily stellate-pubescent and hirsute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 5–7 × 5 mm, ovoid, brownish, with a small caruncle.
[FZ]

Euphorbiaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A shrub or small tree, 15–20 ft. high
Morphology General Indumentum
Stellate-scurfy branchlets and panicles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers yellow
Ecology
In streamside forest.
[FWTA]

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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