Vangueria rhodesiaca (Tennant) Lantz

Rubiaceae, D. Bridson. Flora Zambesiaca 5:2. 1998

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree up to 4.5 m tall; the internodes, particularly on the abbreviated lateral shoots, very short giving a gnarled appearance; youngest parts densely ± velvety ferruginous-hairy, but soon glabrous and with dark purplish-brown minutely scaling bark.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 0.8–3.5 × 0.6–3 cm, broadly elliptic to almost round or oblate, rounded at both ends or ± subcordate at the base, markedly discolorous, pubescent above but not obscuring the bright green surface, densely grey velvety-tomentose beneath, bullate above due to deeply impressed venation; petiole 1–2 mm long; stipules 2 mm long, shortly triangular, densely hairy inside the bases, becoming persistently woody, the appendage 1–2 mm long, subulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary, or in c. 3-flowered cymes; peduncles ± suppressed; pedicels c. 1 mm long; bracts and bracteoles up to 5 mm long, subulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx densely pubescent; tube 2 mm long, ovoid, drying brownish and ribbed; lobes 2–4 mm long, triangular at base, with subulate apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla shortly tailed in bud; creamy or lemon-yellow in colour, the tube more greenish; tube 1.8–2 cm long, slightly to distinctly curved, densely pubescent outside with a ring of deflexed hairs near the base inside; lobes 5–7 mm long, 2 mm wide at the base, triangular-lanceolate, with short appendage at apex, pubescent outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style 2.2–2.5 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollen presenter

Pollen presenter 2 mm long, subcylindric, shortly 4-lobed at apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Immature fruit 7 mm wide, ± globose, densely tomentose, pale yellow-brown.