Anthospermum usambarense K.Schum.

Species

Angiosperms > Gentianales > Rubiaceae > Anthospermum

Characteristics

A much-branched shrub 0.45–4.5 m. tall, with dense heath-like foliage, the whorls of leaves running together at the apices of the shoots; stems covered with dense spreading short grey hairs when young, but later glabrescent or sometimes ± persistently hairy, the often reddish epidermis peeling off.. Leaves opposite or verticillate in whorls of 4–6 and also pseudo-verticillate due to short undeveloped shoots, forming sometimes big subglobose fasciculate clusters; blades narrowly oblong-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 0.2–1.5(–3.5) cm. long, 2–5 mm. wide, but often appearing narrow (± 0.5 mm. wide) due to strong revolution of the margins, apiculate at the apex, narrowed to the base, glabrous, sparsely ciliate or hairy on midrib beneath; stipules with (1–)3–5(–7) setae 0.6–3(–5) mm. long from a base 1 mm. long; petioles obsolete.. Flowers in sessile axillary clusters, unisexual and dioecious.. Calyx-tube conic, 0.8 mm. long, lobes in ♀ flowers 2 small and 2 larger, 0.2–0.5 mm. long.. Corolla greenish white or yellowish, often tinged maroon in bud or entirely pinkish in ♀ flowers; in ♂ flowers tube 0.8 mm. long, lobes elliptic, 2.7 mm. long, 1 mm. wide; in ♀ flowers much reduced, the tube 0.4 mm. long with firmer midpetaline areas and the lobes short, oblong, 0.2 mm. long.. Stamens with filaments ± 1 mm. long, the anthers well exserted, absent in ♀ flowers.. Styles cream, feathery, 4.5–6.5 mm. long, joined for ± 0.5–2.7 mm. of their length.. Fruits oblong-ellipsoid, 1.5–2 mm. long, 0.7–1 mm. wide, crowned with the small calyx-lobes.
More
Leaves in whorls of 3 or, less often, decussate, pseudo-verticillate; blades (2)3–10(15) x 0.5–1.5(2) mm. (on new growth occasionally to 20 x 3 mm.), narrowly obovate, oblanceolate, oblong-elliptic, lanceolate to ± linear, mostly glabrous; margins often (strongly) revolute; petioles subobsolete; stipular sheath shortly hairy, with 3–7(8) setae, the longest 1–4.1 mm. long.
Flowers subsessile, in clusters of many at nodes, inflorescences rather dimorphic, in female often quite contracted, dense, ± cylindrical inflorescence zones; corolla 4-merous (very seldom 5-merous), greenish to creamy yellow, often dark purplish-red or-brown ringed outside, glabrous or with a few odd hairs.
Fruit reddish-brown, shiny or greyish-brown; mericarps 1.2–2.2(2.4) x 0.7–1 mm., ± obovate, oblong to elliptic, mostly glabrous, with 2 ± triangular calyx lobes 0.2–0.6 x 0.3–0.4 mm., one often larger than the other.
Male: tube 0.7–1.6 mm. long, funnel-shaped, lobes 1.4–2.4(2.7) x 0.6–1(1.4) mm.; anthers (0.7)1–1.7 mm. long; small rudimentary ovary mostly with 4 small calyx lobes, occasionally also rudimentary stigmas present.
Female: tube 0.3–0.7 mm. long, lobes 0.2–0.7 x 0.1–0.3 mm.; style 0–0.5 mm. long; stigmas 3–6.1 mm. long; ovary 0.7–0.8 x 0.5–0.6 mm., with 4 subequal or 2 longer and 2 shorter calyx lobes.
Stems mostly much-branched above, branches ± regular, arising in threes (less commonly paired), often ascending to ± erect, usually shortly hairy, ± densely leafy.
Dioecious shrub, single-stemmed, erect, 1–3 m. tall.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.5 - 3.0
Root system tap-root
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Anthospermum usambarense unspecified picture

Distribution

Anthospermum usambarense world distribution map, present in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, and Zambia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:743415-1
WFO ID wfo-0000220726
COL ID 67FD9
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Anthospermum leuconeuron Anthospermum usambarense Anthospermum aberdaricum Anthospermum keilii Anthospermum prittwitzii