Rutidea olenotricha Hiern

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

Morphology General Habit

Climber, up to 12 m tall; young stems densely rusty-red tomentose; older stems with bark brown, eventually flaking off.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf blades 5–16 × 2.5–10 cm, oblong-elliptic, broadly oblong-elliptic, sometimes rotund or narrowly to broadly obovate, obtuse to rounded (or often acute to subacuminate in West Africa) or occasionally emarginate, frequently apiculate at apex, rounded to subcordate or occasionally somewhat unequal at base, subcoriaceous or rarely chartaceous, glabrous or occasionally sparsely pubescent with midrib tomentose above, tomentose beneath, usually with nervation impressed above, often with revolute margins; domatia present as conspicuous tufts of rusty-red hair; petiole 0.5–3 cm long, tomentose; stipules 0.4–1.5 cm long, triangular at base then rather abruptly narrowing to a subulate lobe, tomentose outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers (4)5-merous in pyramidal panicles, sometimes with reduced leaves on rhachis, terminal but occasionally with an additional pair of panicles at first node; lateral inflorescence branches in 3–7 pairs, 0.5–5 cm long, tomentose; secondary inflorescence branches 0.3–1.5 cm long; short tertiary inflorescence branches sometimes present; pedicels absent; bracteoles on rhachis 5–8 mm long, usually with 2 lateral lobes, bracteoles on inflorescence head subulate or linear 2–3 mm long somewhat longer than calyx.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx densely tomentose; tube 0.5–0.75 mm long; limb 0.75–1 mm long, divided into ovate lobes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla covered with spreading hairs outside; tube 3.5–4.75 mm long; lobes 1.75–2.75 × 1–1.75 mm, oblong- ovate, obtuse to rounded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen presenter

Pollen presenter 1.25–1.5 mm long, fusiform, well exserted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 6–7 mm in diameter, glabrous to glabrescent, orange to red, often with whitish incrustations.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed c. 5 mm in diameter, very finely reticulate, blackish.

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