Maytenus acuminata (L.F.) Loes.

Species

Angiosperms > Celastrales > Celastraceae > Maytenus

Characteristics

Shrub or tree (0.3–)1–20 m. high, erect or ± spreading, unarmed, glabrous, with latex threads in branches, leaves, flowers and fruits, very variable; branches ± markedly 4-lined when young, eventually terete and longitudinally striate.. Leaves not fasciculate, petiolate; lamina dark green and ± glossy above, paler beneath, ovate to narrowly lanceolate or rarely elliptic or elliptic-oblong, (1–)1.7–12.1(–13.5) × (0.5–)0.8–4.7 cm., acuminate and frequently mucronate to acute or rarely obtuse at the apex, with margin acutely glandular-denticulate to crenulate-denticulate or more rarely entire, cuneate or attenuate to rounded at the base, coriaceous to chartaceous, with lateral nerves and reticulate venation prominent beneath but not or scarcely so above; petiole (1–)2–7(–10) mm. long.. Cymes 0.3–3 cm. long, monochasial after 1st to 3rd branching or pseudumbellate to fasciculate, axillary, sessile (fasciculate) or with peduncle up to 21 mm. long; pedicels up to 13 mm. long or more rarely absent, articulated at the base or in the lower 2/5; flowers ± 2–20 in each cyme or solitary, 3–5(–6) mm. in diameter, bisexual.. Sepals 5, unequal, subcircular, rounded, 0.7–1.2 mm. long, with margin entire.. Petals 5, green or white or white tinged red to deep red, broadly obovate to subcircular, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, sessile or shortly clawed, with margin entire.. Stamens 5, much shorter than the petals, with filaments 0.1–0.2 mm. long, flattened, united with the outer margin of the disc.. Disc 5-angled, concave, with very short free margin.. Ovary 3-locular, pyramidal, ± half-immersed in the disc; style absent; stigma slightly 3-lobed.. Capsule green or reddish-green to yellow or orange or red, 4–11 mm. long, 3-lobed (or globose to 2-lobed due to abortion), with lobes rounded, smooth, not fleshy.. Seeds 1–3, orange-brown to dark brown, completely enclosed by a thin orange aril.
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Shrub or tree, up to 15 m high. Branchlets angular, becoming terete, sometimes reddish. Leaves alternate, membranous or subcoriaceous, dark glossy green above, paler below; lamina elliptic to ovate, (9-)17-50(-80) x 8-40 mm, apex acute to long acuminate, base cuneate, margins serrate; midrib of young leaves reddish; petioles 2-10 mm long. Inflorescences monochasial cymes; peduncles 0.5-2.0 mm long. Flowers 5-merous, whitish, yellow, orange to pink; pedicels 3-13 mm long. Sepals subcircular, ± 12 mm long, margins entire. Petals subcircular, 1.5-2.5 mm long, margins entire. Stamens much shorter than petals. Fruit a 2-or 3-valved, or abortively 1-locular, obovoid capsule, 3-11 mm long, smooth, yellow to red. Seeds completely enveloped by orange aril.
Leaves not fasciculate, petiolate;lamina dark green and ± glossy above, paler below, (1)1·7–12·1(13·5) × (0·5)0·8–4·7 cm., ovate to narrowly lanceolate or rarely elliptic or elliptic-oblong, acuminate and frequently mucronate to acute or rarely obtuse at the apex, with margin acutely glandular-denticulate to crenulate-denticulate or more rarely entire, cuneate or angustate to rounded at the base, chartaceous to coriaceous, with lateral nerves and reticulate venation prominent below but not or scarcely so above; petiole (1)2–7(10) mm. long.
Cymes monochasial after 1st to 3rd branching or pseudumbellate to fasciculate, with peduncle up to 21 mm. long or more rarely absent, in axil of foliage leaves; pedicels up to 13 mm. long or more rarely absent, articulated at the base or in the lower 2/5; flowers c. 2–20 in each cyme or solitary, 3–5(6) mm. in diam.
Shrub or small tree to 10 m. Leaves alternate, dark green and glossy above, paler beneath, ovate to lanceolate, toothed, with silky threads when broken. Flowers in axillary fascicles, white. Capsules yellow.
Shrub or tree (0·3)1–15 m. high, unarmed, glabrous, with latex threads in branches, leaves, flowers and fruits; branches ± markedly 4-lined when young, eventually terete and longitudinally striate.
Capsule yellow to orange or red, 4–11 mm. long, 3-lobed with lobes rounded, smooth, ascending, or 2-lobed to obovoid or globose due to abortion of 1–2 loculi.
Petals 5, green to white or white-tinged-red or deep red, 1·5–2·5 mm. long, broadly obovate to suborbicular, sessile or shortly unguiculate, entire.
Ovary 3-locular, pyramidal, c. 1/2-immersed in disk; style absent; stigma slightly 3-lobed.
Stamens 5, with filaments 0·1–0·2 mm. long, flattened, united with outer margin of disk.
Seeds 1–3, orange-brown to dark brown, completely enclosed by an orange aril.
Sepals 5, unequal, 0·7–1·2 mm. long, suborbicular, rounded.
Disk 5-angled, concave, with very short free margin.
A shrub.
Life form perennial
Growth form
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 5.5 - 15.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a tropical plant.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 7-8
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses material medicinal
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use Abdominal pain (bark), Dyspepsia (bark), Diarrhea (leaf), Dysentery (leaf), Construction (unspecified), Wood (unspecified)
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

Maytenus acuminata unspecified picture

Distribution

Maytenus acuminata world distribution map, present in Burundi, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, eSwatini, Tanzania, United Republic of, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Maytenus acuminata threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:161800-1
WFO ID wfo-0000369427
COL ID 3YHSQ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Maytenus meruensis Celastrus acuminatus Celastrus rupestris Gymnosporia acuminata Gymnosporia amaniensis Gymnosporia meruensis Gymnosporia populifolia Catha acuminata Catha rupestris Celastrus plectronia Celastrus populifolius Gymnosporia bukobina Gymnosporia lepidota Maytenus amaniensis Maytenus bukobina Maytenus lepidota Maytenus rhodesica Celastrus microphyllus Celastrus mucronatus Ilex livida Ilex lucida Celastrus acuminatus var. microphyllus Gymnosporia acuminata var. lepidota Gymnosporia lepidota var. kilimandscharica Gymnosporia lepidota var. ruwenzorica Gymnosporia acuminata var. microphylla Maytenus acuminata var. acuminata Maytenus lepidota var. kilimandscharica Maytenus acuminata