Rytigynia uhligii (K.Schum. & K.Krause) Verdc.

Species

Angiosperms > Gentianales > Rubiaceae > Rytigynia

Characteristics

Shrub or tree 0.9–9 m. tall, ? rarely scandent, laxly branched; bark smooth, pale brown to blackish grey; stems pale chestnut-brown or purplish, longitudinally ridged, lenticellate, glabrous, the epidermis or bark wearing off to reveal pale undersurface.. Leaves mostly not fully developed at flowering time; blades elliptic to ovate, 1.5–11 cm. long, 0.5–4.8(–5.2) cm. wide, narrowly or abruptly acuminate at the apex, the tip usually rounded, cuneate, rounded or ± truncate at the base, glabrous save for obvious tufted domatia or rarely sparsely pubescent, ± thin, not or only slightly discolorous; petiole 2–6 mm. long; stipule-bases triangular or ovate, joined, 3–5 mm. long, densely pilose within, with ± spreading often compressed subulate appendage 1–4.5 mm. long, decurrent or sometimes completely lacking.. Inflorescences 1–2-flowered, rarely more; peduncle either ± suppressed or up to 6(–10) mm. long particularly in fruit; pedicels (0.2–)0.6–1.2 cm. long, often 1.5–2.3(–3) cm. long in fruit; bracts up to 1.5 mm. long.. Buds oblong, very obtuse, the limb part characteristically much shorter than the tube.. Calyx-tube 1.2–1.5 mm. long, the limb a rim ± 0.2 mm. long, with obsolete or very small teeth.. Corolla white to greenish yellow; tube mostly subglobose or urceolate-campanulate or sometimes ± cylindrical, 4.5–5.5 mm. long, with a ring of deflexed hairs inside; the limb usually ± closed; lobes mostly green, ovate, 2 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, acute but not appendaged.. Ovary (2–)3–5-locular; style swollen at the base; stigmatic club just exserted or exserted up to 2.5 mm., 2–5-lobed.. Fruit blue-black, globose, (7–)9–10(–? 13 in life) mm. diameter, containing 1–5 pyrenes 6–7 × 3–4 mm.. Fig. 132/11, p. 754.
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Leaves mostly not fully developed at flowering time, 1.5–11 × 0.5–4.8(5.2) cm, elliptic to ovate, narrowly or abruptly acuminate at the apex, the tip usually rounded, cuneate, rounded or ± truncate at the base, glabrous save for obvious tufted domatia, or rarely sparsely pubescent, ± thin, not or only slightly discolorous; petiole 2–6 mm long; stipule bases 3–5 mm long, triangular or ovate, joined, densely pilose within, with a ± spreading often compressed subulate appendage 1–4.5 mm long, decurrent or sometimes completely lacking.
Corolla oblong, very obtuse in bud, the limb part characteristically much shorter than the tube; white to greenish-yellow; the limb usually remains ± closed; tube 4.5–5.5 mm long, mostly subglobose or urceolate-campanulate or sometimes ± cylindrical, with a ring of deflexed hairs inside; lobes mostly green, 2 × 1.5 mm, ovate, acute but not appendaged.
A shrub or small tree. It grows up to about 9 m tall. The bark is smooth. The leaves are narrowly oval and 2-11 cm long by 1-6 cm wide. The flowers are greenish-white or yellow. They are in groups of 1 or 2. The fruit is blue-black and about 1 cm across.
Inflorescences 1–2-flowered, rarely more; peduncle either ± suppressed or up to 6(10) mm long particularly in fruit; pedicels (2)6–12 mm long, often 15–23(30) mm long in fruit; bracts up to 1.5 mm long.
Stems pale chestnut-brown or purplish, longitudinally ridged, lenticellate, glabrous, the epidermis or bark wearing off to reveal pale undersurface.
Fruit blue-black, (7)9–10(?13 in life) mm in diameter, globose, containing 1–5 pyrenes; pyrenes 6–7 × 3–4 mm.
Shrub or tree 0.9–9 m tall, rarely scandent(?), laxly branched; bark smooth, pale brown to blackish-grey.
Calyx tube 1.2–1.5 mm long, the limb a rim about 0.2 mm long with obsolete or very small teeth.
Pollen presenter just exserted or exserted up to 2.5 mm, 2–5-lobed.
Style swollen at the base.
Ovary (2)3–5-locular.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.9 - 9.0
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 between 1,050 and 2,400 m above sea level in Kenya. It is often in forests on isolated hilltops.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
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Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Rytigynia uhligii unspecified picture
Rytigynia uhligii unspecified picture
Rytigynia uhligii unspecified picture

Distribution

Rytigynia uhligii world distribution map, present in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, United Republic of, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Rytigynia uhligii threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:943816-1
WFO ID wfo-0000299240
COL ID 6WYZY
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Plectronia kidaria Rytigynia euclioides Rytigynia murifolia Rytigynia uhligii Vangueria neglecta Rytigynia kidaria Rytigynia lenticellata Rytigynia undulata Canthium sarogliae Rytigynia schumannii var. puberula Vangueria neglecta var. puberula Rytigynia schumannii Vangueria uhligii