Phytocrene hirsuta Blume

Species

Angiosperms > Icacinales > Icacinaceae > Phytocrene

Characteristics

Climber; stem (1 cm or more ø) smooth. Branchlets slender, set with longish rufous sub-setose and ± spreading hairs, older parts also laxly with very short pale retrorse prickles. Leaves ovate, or ovate-or elliptic-oblong, apex acuminate, the midrib characteristically protruding up to 8 mm beyond the leaf margin as a hirsute breakable thread in young leaves, base rounded to slightly cordate, firmly chartaceous, finally glabrous above except the nerves, remaining hirsute or tomentose by shorter and longer rufous to ferrugineous hairs and soft to the touch beneath, entire or shallowly sinuate-dented, or obscurely repand especially in the lower half, 12-17 by 6-9 cm, midrib and nerves very slightly immersed or flat above, prominent beneath, nerves 2 pairs palmately from the base of the lamina (outer pair short, inner one rather straight ascending to ± half the length of the blade), other 3(-4) pairs of nerves from the upper ⅔ of the midrib generally more curved, reticulation dense and finely raised above, coarser and more prominent beneath; petiole thickened at base, rufous-hirsute, 3.5-4 cm by c. 2 mm. ♂ Inflorescences in spike-like panicles, solitary in the axils of lower leaves, up to 25 by 3 cm, composed of numerous shortly peduncled cymes, the ultimate peduncle (2-3 mm) bearing numerous flowers in a head (c. 4 mm ø) and provided at base with a subulate ± persistent bract (1-1.5 mm), the whole inflorescence covered with shorter greyish and longer rufous, bristle-like and ± spreading hairs. Calyx segments 3 or 4, connate below, obcuneate, hirsute, 1.3 mm. Petals 3 or 4, almost free, oblong, dirty yellow, with a few hairs inside, hirsute outside, c. 2 mm. Stamens 3 or 4; anther cells 0.5 mm. ♀ Flowers in heads c. 8 mm ø, on stout peduncle 2-3 cm, generally from old wood. Calyx segments and petals as in ♂ flowers. Ovary glabrous below, hirsute above; stigmas 4 or 5, short, acuminate. Drupes collected in subglobular masses, each drupe ovoid-oblongoid to-ellipsoid, laterally much compressed, apex ± broadly attenuate, densely set with retrorse setose bristle-like stiff hairs, 3-4(-4.5) by 1.5-2 by 1.5 cm, incl. the short hollow beak of the exocarp; endocarp hard, with minute scattered roundish pits, (2-)2.5-3.5 by 1.5-2 cm.
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Growth form shrub
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 0.01
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Environment

Primary and secondary lowland forest, up to 800 m, also in rather dry places, even on limestone rocks.
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Usage

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Cultivation

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Distribution

Phytocrene hirsuta world distribution map, present in Kenya

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:608219-1
WFO ID wfo-0000465344
COL ID 4HLFX
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Phytocrene hirsuta Phytocrene crinipes Phytocrene minahassae Boehmeria racemiflora