WorldFloraDB - Rumex usambarensis

Characteristics

A shrub or straggling glabrous climber, up to 3 m. tall or more.. Stems brown.. Leaves astringent, petiolate, often clustered, narrowly to broadly elliptic with a hastate base, a little narrowed above the basal lobes, up to 5 (–9) cm. long, apically acute; lobes reflexed, small, not exceeding 5 × 2 mm.; leaves markedly trinervate (except in very narrow leaves), the lateral nerves arising arcuately from the base of the midrib and remaining complementarily parallel throughout most of their length.. Petioles 1–4 cm. long.. Inflorescence a much-branched, ± slender, leafless panicle.. Flowers in fascicles, on filiform pedicels up to 5 mm. long.. Outer tepals 1.75–2 mm. long, ovate, obtuse, later reflexing.. Inner tepals wing-like, 5–7 mm. in diameter, ± pellucid, subequal, circular when mature, with a squarish basal sinus 1–1.5 mm. deep, red or reddish-brown, reticulately veined and with a small wart-like reflexed protuberance at the base.. Nut trigonous, ovoid, 2–2.5 × 1 mm., brown, shining.. Fig. 2/1 and 2.

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Outer perianth segments brownish, 1.75–2 mm long, ovate, obtuse at the apex, membranous, deflexed and accrescent in fruit; inner perianth segments red or reddish-brown, pellucid, 5–7 mm in diameter, ± circular and wing-like when mature, rounded at the apex, cordate at the base with a squarish basal sinus, reticulately veined, with a small wart-like deflexed dorsal protuberance near the base.

A straggling shrub. It has soft stems. It grows 1-2 m high. The stems are tinged brown and are soft and juicy. The leaves are oblong. The leaves have 2 short lobes near the base. There are 3 distinct veins. The flowers are in a branched, red flowering arrangement. The fruit are oval and 3 sided.

Leaf lamina 3.5–9 × 1.5–3 cm, narrowly to broadly elliptic, apex acute, with a hastate base, narrowed above the basal lobes, markedly 3-nerved; basal lobes 5 × 2 mm, reflexed; petiole 1–4 cm long.

Flowers polygamous, bracteate, pedicellate, arranged in whorls of 2–6 flowers; pedicels 2–5 mm long, slender, unequal; whorls borne in leafless terminal, cylindrical or ± pyramidal panicles.

Stamens 6; filaments as long as the perianth segments, filiform; anthers 1.5 × 0.5 mm, cylindrical.

Ocrea 1–1.5 cm long, membranous, entire, caducous.

Stems up to 3 m or more tall, glabrous, striate.

A shrub, or sometimes a straggling climber.

Nut brown, shiny, 2–2.5 mm long, trigonous.

Ovary 1.5 × 1 mm, trigonous.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	herb
Growth support	-
Foliage retention	deciduous
Sexuality	-
Pollination	entomogamy
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Mature width (meter)	-
Mature height (meter)	2.0
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Environment

It is a tropical plant. In Kenya it grows between 900-2,500 m altitude. It grows in areas with rainfall between 1,100-2,200 mm. It grows in mountain grassland, woodland and exposed rocky slopes. It is best in soils rich in humus.

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Montane grassland, open mist forest, bushland, exposed rocky slopes and woodlands and gaps in montane forests, but also near swamps in lowlands, at elevations from 900-2,400 metres.

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Usage

Caution: The leaves contain oxalates. The stems are chewed raw. They are cleaned and peeled before chewing. They are also roasted and eaten with sugar or salt. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable.

Uses	medicinal
Edible	leaves stems
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Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Mode	seedlings
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