Rytigynia monantha (K.Schum.) Robyns

Species

Angiosperms > Gentianales > Rubiaceae > Rytigynia

Characteristics

Much-branched shrub or small tree 0.3–4.5 m. tall, with the older stems brown, purple-brown or reddish, with very finely fissured smooth bark or sometimes in exposed areas becoming rough and nodose, the dark very rough bark flaking to reveal a reddish or pale brownish powder; branching often ± horizontal, the young shoots green in life, densely shortly spreading pubescent, with sometimes bright rusty hairs, but in some areas (e.g. Malawi) ± glabrous.. Leaf-blades ovate, oblong or elliptic, 1–6 cm. long, 0.5–4 cm. wide, narrowly acuminate at the apex, rounded to cuneate or sometimes subcordate at the base, typically markedly discolorous with dense adpressed yellowish or whitish pubescence above and densely ± coarsely velvety beneath but not entirely obscuring the ± reticulate venation but the indumentum is sometimes much sparser and some Malawi specimens have almost glabrous leaves; petiole 1–4 mm. long; stipules with hairy basal hyaline parts joined to form a sheath 1.5–2 mm. long; appendages compressed, lanceolate or narrowly falcate, drying dark, 3–10 mm. long or rarely pale and filiform.. Inflorescences 1–2-flowered; peduncle 0.4–1.6 cm. long; pedicels (2–)3–9 mm. long, lengthening up to 1.9 cm. in fruit; bracts ovate, 1.5–3.5 mm. long, ± connate, acuminate.. Buds clavate, acuminate, apiculate or with 5 distinct tails but very variable and sometimes (in Rwanda) ± blunt, usually spreading bristly pubescent but occasionally glabrous.. Calyx-tube 1–1.5 mm. long, densely pubescent outside, densely hairy inside all over; lobes linear to triangular, 0.5–1.5 mm. long (long and linear in Malawi).. Corolla white, pale yellow or greenish; tube 3–6 mm. long, ± glabrous inside, with few reflexed hairs outside or pubescent in upper half; lobes triangular to lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long, 1–2 mm. wide, acute, with apiculum or short appendage 0.5–1.5 mm. long, often creamy white inside, usually bristly pubescent outside or less often glabrous (particularly in Malawi material).. Ovary 3–4-locular; style white, usually exserted 1–3 mm., sometimes with few hairs just beneath club, ± dilated at base; stigmatic club whitish, depressed subglobose or oblong-obconic, 1 mm. long, sulcate beneath, 3–4-lobed at apex.. Fruit subglobose, 6–8 mm. long, 7–8 mm. wide, pubescent, with 1–4 pyrenes.
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Leaves 1–6 × 0.5–4 cm, ovate, oblong or elliptic, narrowly acuminate at the apex, rounded to cuneate or sometimes subcordate at the base, typically markedly discolorous with a dense appressed yellowish or whitish pubescence above and a dense ± coarsely velvety pubescence beneath, the pubescence not entirely obscuring the ± reticulate venation, or sometimes the indumentum is much sparser and some Malawi specimens have almost glabrous leaves; petiole 1–4 mm long; stipules with the hairy basal hyaline parts joined to form a sheath 1.5–2 mm long; stipule appendages compressed, 3–10 mm long, lanceolate or narrowly falcate, drying dark, or rarely the appendages pale and filiform.
Corolla clavate, acuminate, apiculate or with 5 distinct tails in bud, but very variable and sometimes (in Rwanda) ± blunt; white, pale yellow or greenish, usually spreading bristly pubescent but occasionally glabrous; tube 3–6 mm long, ± glabrous inside, with few deflexed hairs outside or pubescent in upper half; lobes 2–4 × 1–2 mm, triangular to lanceolate, acute, with an apiculus or short appendage 0.5–1.5 mm long, often creamy-white inside, usually bristly pubescent outside or less often glabrous (particularly in Malawi material).
Much branched shrub or small tree 0.3–4.5 m tall; older stems brown, purple-brown or reddish, the bark very finely fissured smooth, or sometimes in exposed areas becoming rough and nodose, the dark very rough bark flaking to reveal a reddish or pale brownish powder; branching often ± horizontal; young shoots green in life, densely shortly spreading pubescent with sometimes bright rusty hairs, or in some areas (e.g. Malawi) ± glabrous.
Style white, usually exserted 1–3 mm, sometimes with few hairs just beneath the pollen presenter, ± dilated at base; pollen presenter whitish, 1 mm long, depressed subglobose or oblong-obconic, sulcate beneath, 3–4 lobed at apex.
Calyx tube 1–1.5 mm long, densely pubescent outside, densely hairy inside all over; lobes 5–8, 0.5–1.5 mm long, linear to triangular, (long and linear in Malawi).
Inflorescences 1–2-flowered; peduncle 4–16 mm long; pedicels (2)3–9 mm long, lengthening to 19 mm in fruit; bracts ± connate, 1.5–3.5 mm long, ovate, acuminate.
Fruit 6–8 × 7–8 mm, subglobose, pubescent, with 1–4 pyrenes.
Ovary 3–4-locular.
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Growth form tree
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Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 4.5
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Environment

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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses medicinal
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Cultivation

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Images

Rytigynia monantha unspecified picture

Distribution

Rytigynia monantha world distribution map, present in Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Tanzania, United Republic of, and Zambia

Conservation status

Rytigynia monantha threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:765755-1
WFO ID wfo-0000299190
COL ID 78Z9Z
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Rytigynia monantha Vangueria monantha

Lower taxons

Rytigynia monantha var. monantha Rytigynia monantha var. lusakati