Dorstenia benguellensis Welw.

Herb up to 50(–60) cm. tall, tuberous; tuber discoid to subglobose, 1–12 cm. in diameter; stems annual, unbranched or branched (mostly with arrested branches), 1.5–8 mm. thick, puberulous to hirtellous or hispidulous.. Leaves in spirals, on the lower part of the stem with entire to tripartite scale leaves; lamina of foliage leaves chartaceous when dry, oblong to subovate or linear, sometimes subobovate, occasionally elliptic or ovate, 1–15 × 0.2–4.5 cm., apex acute to subacuminate, base obtuse to rounded, margin finely to coarsely dentate or occasionally subcrenate; both surfaces puberulous to hirtellous or hispidulous; lateral veins 4–12 (in linear leaves up to 25) pairs; petiole (0–)0.1–0.2(–0.5) cm. long, ± 1 mm. thick; stipules triangular to oblong, up to 5 mm. long, persistent.. Inflorescences solitary or occasionally in pairs; peduncle 0.5–7 cm. long, 1–1.5 mm. thick.. Receptacle discoid to broadly turbinate to shallowly cup-shaped, subcircular, 0.5–2(–2.5) cm. in diameter; margin very narrow; appendages in 2 rows, inner (marginal) row with numerous triangular to subulate or ovate appendages up to 1–2 mm. long, or the appendages indistinct and the rim subentire, outer (submarginal) row mostly with 5–12 (less commonly with up to 23 or with less than 5, down to 2, 1 or even 0), band-shaped to filiform, less often subspathulate to oblong, (1–)2–20(–80) mm. long appendages.. Staminate flowers ± crowded; perianth-lobes 2; stamens 2.. Pistillate flowers numerous; perianth shortly tubular; stigmas (1–)2.. Endocarp-body tetrahedral, ± 2 mm. in diameter, tuberculate, pale brown.. Fig. 15/5–7.