Rubiaceae
Anthospermum

Anthospermum ternatum Hiern

First published in Cat. Afr. Pl. 1: 499 (1898)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:1. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Non-dioecious (hermaphrodite, female, occasionally hermaphrodite + female, hermaphrodite + male or male) short-lived (sometimes biennial) herb, ‘woody herb’ or subshrub with a somewhat woody base, erect to ± straggling.
Morphology Stem
Stems 20–100(150) cm. long, few- to ± much-branched, branches often ascending to ± erect, shortly hairy.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in whorls of 3, decussate or, occasionally, in whorls of 4, often pseudo-verticillate; blades spreading to ± erect, (4.5)6–45(55) x (0.5)0.8–5(8) mm., ovate-or oblong-lanceolate to ± linear, glabrous or variously hairy, but most commonly with short hairs (<0.1 -0.3 mm. long) above and with longer hairs, to c. 0.5 mm., at least on midrib below; upper surface sometimes with conspicuous large epidermal cells; margins ± flat to revolute; petioles subobsolete or to 3 mm. on largest leaves; stipular sheath shortly hairy, with a hairy subulate seta (0.7) 1 -3(3.7) mm. long, often flanked by a much shorter seta on either side.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in subsessile to slightly elongated axillary clusters of several to few at nodes; corolla 4-merous, yellowish to yellowish-green, at least near Ups of lobes hairy outside, rarely glabrous altogether. Female: tube 0.3–0.7 mm. long (1.2–1.7 mm. long if rudimentary anthers present), cylindrical, lobes 0.4–1 x 0.1–0.3 mm. (1–1.7 x 0.2–0.5 mm. if rudimentary anthers present); style c. 0–1 mm. long; stigmas 4–10.2 mm. long; ovary as in hermaphrodite. Hermaphrodite, male: tube (1.7)1.9–2.5 mm. long, cylindrical, lobes 2–2.7 x 0.5–0.7 mm.; anthers 1–2.2 mm. long. Male: small rudimentary ovary, sometimes also rudimentary stigmas present; hermaphrodite: stigmas 1.9–4.7 mm. long, ovary 0.8–1.4 x 0.5–0.7 mm., glabrous or hairy, without or seldom with indistinct minute calyx lobes.
sex Male and Hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite, male: tube (1.7)1.9–2.5 mm. long, cylindrical, lobes 2–2.7 x 0.5–0.7 mm.; anthers 1–2.2 mm. long. Male: small rudimentary ovary, sometimes also rudimentary stigmas present; hermaphrodite: stigmas 1.9–4.7 mm. long, ovary 0.8–1.4 x 0.5–0.7 mm., glabrous or hairy, without or seldom with indistinct minute calyx lobes.
sex Female
Female: tube 0.3–0.7 mm. long (1.2–1.7 mm. long if rudimentary anthers present), cylindrical, lobes 0.4–1 x 0.1–0.3 mm. (1–1.7 x 0.2–0.5 mm. if rudimentary anthers present); style c. 0–1 mm. long; stigmas 4–10.2 mm. long; ovary as in hermaphrodite.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit reddish-brown; mericarps 2–3 x 0.8–1.2 mm., oblong to narrowly obovate, covered with whitish spreading hairs (0.1)0.3–0.7 mm. long at least near apex or entirely glabrous, without distinct calyx lobes.
[FZ]

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1976

Morphology General Habit
Erect unbranched or sparsely branched annual herb 15–70 cm. tall; stems reddish, densely covered with short white spreading pubescence but eventually glabrescent beneath.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in closely placed whorls of 2–3 but appearing densely verticillate due to reduced shoots in the axils, turning reddish; blades linear, 1–2.2 cm. long, 0.8–1.2 mm. wide, sharply pointed at the apex, narrowed to the base, glabrous save for the almost obsolete petioles; upper surface reticulate, the cells often obvious at × 10; stipule-sheath 0.5 mm. long with 1 seta 2 mm. long, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers several in the axils of the upper 5–22 verticils of short leaves, the whole inflorescence 3–12 cm. long; pedicels very short; flowers unisexual or sometimes hermaphrodite. Male:calyx-tube ovoid, 1.5 mm. long, hairy around the rim but lobes ± obsolete; corolla cream; tube narrow, 1.8 mm. long; lobes elliptic-lanceolate, 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, with a few scattered hairs outside; anthers exserted 1.4 mm., ± 1–1.2 mm. of filaments showing; styles joined for 0.3 mm., lobes 1 mm. long. Female:calyx similar to ♂, lacking real lobes; corolla cream; tube small, 0.5–0.8 mm. long; lobes 0.5–1 mm. long, 0.2 mm. wide; styles joined for 1 mm., arms 0.6–1.3 cm. long, pubescent. Hermaphrodite:calyx-tube similar, hairy at apex; corolla greenish, tube ± 3 mm. long; lobes narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide, hairy outside; filaments exserted 2 mm.; styles joined at base for 0.8 mm., free arms 6.2 mm. long.
sex Male
Male:calyx-tube ovoid, 1.5 mm. long, hairy around the rim but lobes ± obsolete; corolla cream; tube narrow, 1.8 mm. long; lobes elliptic-lanceolate, 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, with a few scattered hairs outside; anthers exserted 1.4 mm., ± 1–1.2 mm. of filaments showing; styles joined for 0.3 mm., lobes 1 mm. long.
sex Female
Female:calyx similar to ♂, lacking real lobes; corolla cream; tube small, 0.5–0.8 mm. long; lobes 0.5–1 mm. long, 0.2 mm. wide; styles joined for 1 mm., arms 0.6–1.3 cm. long, pubescent.
sex Hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite:calyx-tube similar, hairy at apex; corolla greenish, tube ± 3 mm. long; lobes narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide, hairy outside; filaments exserted 2 mm.; styles joined at base for 0.8 mm., free arms 6.2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits pubescent or glabrous save at apex, the cocci 2 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide, not crowned by the calyx-limb.
Habitat
Brachystegia woodland, often on poor eroded slopes, rocky hillsides, etc.; 880–1695 m.
Distribution
T4 T5 T7 T8
[FTEA]

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]

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/

  • 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