Cadaba termitaria N.E.Br.

Much branched shrub 2-3(-5) m tall; branches stiff and rigid, farinose, becoming glabrous or papillose, grey-black. Leaves elliptic to obovate, 7-20 x 3-7 mm, grey-green, leathery, covered with small white farinose scales on both surfaces, alternate or often crowded on short side shoots, lateral veins often visible, especially on ventral surface; petiole c. 1 mm long, farinose. Flowers solitary in axils of leaves, or crowded towards apices of short side shoots; pedicels farinose, up to 8 mm long; buds ovate in outline. Sepals 4, free, decussate, subequal, c. 13 mm long, 4 mm wide, green, papillose-farinose on both surfaces. Petals 0. Androphore c. 3 cm long, glabrous with slight longitudinal ridges; with basal nectary, very conspicuous in open flowers, often persisting on young fruit, saccate, with large, 8-12 x 3 mm, laterally compressed neck adnate for most of its length. Stamens 5, arising from same level, filaments equal, often persisting on mature fruit. Gynophore 8-9 mm long, glandular-pubescent. Ovary cylindric, glandular-pubescent, with capitate, sessile stigma. Ovules numberous, attached on two placentas. Fruit cylindric, usually 5 cm (up to 7.5 cm) long and 3-5 mm wide, verrucose, subtotulose, glabrous or scurfy. Seeds c. 2.5 mm long, embedded in orangy matrix, reniform with rugose black testa.