Multidentia crassa (Hiern) Bridson & Verdc.

Species

Angiosperms > Gentianales > Rubiaceae > Multidentia

Characteristics

Shrub or small tree 0.6–6 m. tall, the main trunk with almost black or rough grey bark, which peels to expose a reddish undersurface; shoots usually rather stout, with thick often powdery very pale white-grey or straw-coloured wrinkled corky bark; sap copious, sometimes apparently milky.. Leaves mostly restricted to apices of branches; blades oblong-elliptic to oblong or sometimes round, 3–27.5 cm. long, 1.7–15.5 cm. wide, obtuse or ± acute at the apex or sometimes tapering-acute, cuneate to ± rounded at the base, rather fleshy or coriaceous or sometimes papery, often drying yellow-green and mostly often markedly paler and glaucous beneath, glabrous or occasionally densely velvety tomentose on lower surface; lateral nerves in 5–7 main pairs; tertiary nerves finely reticulate, sometimes drying pale yellowish above and dark beneath; domatia present as tufts of hair; petioles 0.3–2.5 cm. long; stipules with broad basal part 3.5–5 mm. long and subulate apex 1.5–7.5 mm. long, pubescent within.. Flowers 5-merous, borne in axillary many-flowered divaricate cymes, all parts of inflorescence mostly pubescent and sometimes densely woolly tomentose; peduncle 1–5 cm. long; pedicels 1–3 mm. long; bracts linear, 3–5 mm. long.. Calyx-tube obconic, 1.5–2 mm. long, glabrous or sometimes pubescent; tubular part of limb short, 1–3 mm. long, almost truncate or undulate or with short triangular teeth ± 0.5–1 mm. long.. Corolla greenish yellow, fleshy, thick, wrinkled when dry; tube 2.5–4.5 mm. long, pilose at throat, then with a ring of deflexed hairs 1/3 of the way from the top; lobes narrowly triangular, 3 mm. long.. Stigmatic knob distinctly exserted, green, ellipsoid, 2 mm. long, ridged.. Fruit green mottled brown, yellow, dull red or brown spotted with white, fleshy and edible, depressed globose, 2.2–3 cm. long, 2.6–3.7 cm. wide (probably at least 3.5–4 cm. wide in life), lenticellate; pyrenes ellipsoid, 1.8–2.2 cm. long, 1.1–1.7 cm. wide, 1.1–1.5 cm. thick, the walls ridged, exceedingly thick and woody, up to 5–7 mm. thick, with a deep lateral semicircular groove on either side above the point of attachment, meeting on apical edge.
More
Leaves mostly restricted to apices of branches; blades 3–27.5 × 1.7–15.5 cm, oblong-elliptic to oblong or sometimes round, obtuse or acute at the apex or sometimes tapering-acute, cuneate to rounded at the base, rather fleshy or coriaceous or sometimes papery, often drying yellow-green and mostly markedly paler and glaucous beneath, glabrous or occasionally densely velvety tomentose on lower surface; lateral nerves in 5–7 main pairs; tertiary nerves finely reticulate, sometimes drying pale yellowish above and dark beneath; domatia present as tufts of hair; petioles 3–25 mm long; stipules with broad basal part 3.5–5 mm long and subulate apex 1.5–7.5 mm long, pubescent within.
A shrub or small tree. It grows 1-6 m tall. The bark on the main trunk is dark. It peels off to reveal a reddish colour. The leaves are mostly at the tips of the branches. The leaf blades are 3-28 cm long by 2-6 cm wide. They can vary in shape but can be almost round. The flowers are in groups in the axils of the leaves. The flowers have a woolly covering. The fruit is green with a mottled brown colour. It is 35-40 mm wide and edible.
Shrub or small tree 0.6–6 m tall, the main trunk with almost black bark or rough grey bark, which peels to expose a reddish undersurface; shoots usually rather stout with thick often powdery very white-grey or straw-coloured wrinkled corky bark; sap copious, sometimes apparently milky.
Pyrenes 18–22 × 11–17 × 11–15 mm, ellipsoid; the walls ridged, exceedingly thick and woody, up to 5–7 mm thick, with a deep lateral semicircular groove on either side above the point of attachment, meeting on the apical edge.
Flowers 5-merous, borne in axillary many-flowered divaricate cymes, all parts of inflorescence mostly pubescent and sometimes densely woolly tomentose; peduncle 10–50 mm long; pedicels 1–3 mm long; bracts 3–5 mm long, linear.
Corolla greenish-yellow, fleshy, thick, wrinkled when dry; tube 2.5–4.5 mm long, pilose at throat and with a ring of deflexed hairs one third of the way from the top; lobes 3 mm long, narrowly triangular.
Fruit green mottled brown, yellow or dull red or brown spotted white, fleshy and edible, 22–30 × 26–37 mm (probably at least 35–40 mm wide in life), depressed globose, lenticellate.
Calyx tube 1.5–2 mm long, obconic, glabrous or sometimes pubescent; limb-tube short, 1–3 mm long, almost truncate or undulate or with short triangular teeth about 0.5–1 mm long.
Pollen presenter distinctly exserted, green, 2 mm long, ellipsoid, ridged.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.8 - 6.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in open forest. It grows in Miombo woodland. In Tanzania it grows between 900-2,100 m above sea level.
More
Woodland, thicket and grassland, particularly on burnt hillsides and rocky places, at elevations from 900-2,100 metres.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

The ripe fruit are eaten raw.
Uses charcoal food fuel medicinal wood
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Multidentia crassa world distribution map, present in Angola, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, Chad, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Multidentia crassa threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:944189-1
WFO ID wfo-0000246425
COL ID 44K6D
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Multidentia crassa Vangueria crassa Canthium crassum

Lower taxons

Multidentia crassa var. ampla Multidentia crassa var. crassa