Bridelia ndellensis Beille

A much-branched deciduous tree 8–14 m., with a spiny trunk.. Twigs brown or dark brown, sparingly lenticellate.. Young shoots and petioles densely fulvous or ferruginous tomentose.. Petioles 6–11 mm. long; leaf-blades elliptic-ovate, elliptic-obovate, elliptic or elliptic-oblanceolate, (5–)10–18 cm. long, 4–8 cm. wide, obtuse or shortly obtusely or subacutely acuminate at apex, cuneate, rounded, truncate or shallowly cordate at base, subentire or very shallowly crenate, chartaceous, lateral nerves 9–17, craspedodromous, not prominent above, prominent beneath, tertiary nerves ± parallel, somewhat prominent beneath, sparingly ferruginous pubescent and more evenly so along the midrib or else glabrescent above, evenly ferruginous pubescent and more densely so along the midrib and nerves beneath, dark green above, paler beneath, drying greyish or dark brown above and chestnut-brown beneath.. Stipules very quickly caducous.. Flowers densely glomerulate, fragrant.. Bracts minute, triangular, acute, pubescent.. Male flowers: pedicels 2 mm. long, pubescent; sepals triangular, 1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, acute, pubescent without, glabrous within, yellowish green; petals obtriangular-spathulate, 0.5 mm. long, emarginate, keeled; disc annular, ± flat, 2 mm. across, entire, glabrous; staminal column 1 mm. high; anthers 0.5 mm. long; pistillode conical, 0.7 mm. tall, bifid at the apex.. Female flowers subsessile; sepals as in the ♂ flowers; petals elliptic, 0.75 mm. long, subentire, keeled, pubescent without along the keel, otherwise glabrous; outer disc ± annular, 1.5–2 mm. across, inner disc divided into 4 or 5 triangular pubescent or subglabrous ± entire lobes enclosing the ovary; ovary ovoid, 1.5–2 mm. long, 2-locular; styles 2, united at the base, bifid.. Fruits ellipsoid-oblong, 1-locular by abortion, 7–9 mm. long, 5 mm. wide, green, later turning purple when ripe.. Seed 5 mm. long, ± smooth, shiny, dark brown.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the under-storey in dry forest in West Africa. It grows in stony ground and near swamps.