Pavetta revoluta Hochst.

Rubiaceae, D.M.Bridson & B.Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:3. 2003

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree (1)3–10 m tall; young branches glabrous; older branches with greyish-buff bark.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf blades 3–9.5 × 1.7–4.5 cm, oblanceolate or more often narrowly obovate to obovate, obtuse to rounded, sometimes truncate or emarginate, mucronulate at the apex, cuneate at the base, subcoriaceous or coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, occasionally somewhat revolute; lateral nerves in 3–4 main pairs; domatia pit-like ciliate or pubescent; bacterial nodules dot-like to linear, spread along the midrib and lateral nerves with some scattered; petiole (0.5)0.7–2 cm long, glabrous; stipule limbs light brown, subtruncate, 1.5–2 mm long, glabrous outside; arista up to 2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences lax or somewhat compact, 2.5–6 cm across (excluding corollas); two to four orders of branching present; primary inflorescence branches 2–20 mm long, glabrous; pedicels 4–8 mm long, glabrous; bracts 3–4 mm long, papery, truncate; bracteoles not markedly conspicuous. Inflorescence-supporting branches 1.6–8 cm long, slender, bearing 1–5 pairs of leaves clustered near the apex, less often well spaced or rarely all leaves fallen.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube 0.6–0.8 mm long, glabrous; limb-tube 0.5–0.6 mm long, slightly wider than tube; lobes 0.5–1.2(2) × 0.5–0.8 mm, usually linear-lanceolate, triangular or narrowly triangular, acute or obtuse, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tube 0.6–1.1 cm long, 1–1.25 mm wide at the top, glabrous outside, not bearded at the throat; lobes 5–6 × 2.5–3 mm, ± oblong, acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit black or greyish-green, 6–8 mm in diameter, shiny, the calyx limb persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed blackish, 4.5 mm wide, very finely rugulose on convex face.