Tetracera potatoria Afzel. ex G.Don

Species

Angiosperms > Dilleniales > Dilleniaceae > Tetracera

Characteristics

Scandent shrub or climber up to 5 m. long.. Young branches greenish-brown rapidly turning red-brown, scabrid with appressed reddish-brown hairs; older bark flaking off in longitudinal strips.. Leaf-blade oblong to broadly elliptic, 3.5–14.0 cm. long, 2.5–5.5 cm. wide, entire to slightly undulate, in W. Africa often dentate towards apex which is obtuse to very broadly acute, rounded at base, scabrid above and beneath; secondary veins 6–9 pairs, ± parallel, impressed above, prominent beneath; midrib and secondary veins sparsely pilose; petiole 9–18 mm. long, slightly scabrid, sometimes winged towards base.. Inflorescence paniculate, many-flowered, terminal on first year leafy shoots; flowers white, sweet-scented; pedicels densely pilose, indumentum rusty brown; bracts lanceolate to ± ovate.. Sepals 4–5, varying in size, innermost pair up to 5 mm. long, glabrous to ± pubescent outside, densely silky within, persistent in fruit.. Petals 4–5, obovate, not emarginate, up to 1 cm. long, 0.6 cm. wide, ± glabrous, sometimes with small patch of hairs towards base, imbricate, caducous.. Stamen-filaments up to 6 mm. long; anther-thecae divergent at their base.. Carpels 3–4, hirsute.. Ovules few per carpel; placentation parietal; styles free, filamentous.. Fruiting carpels obovoid, up to 8 mm. long, 6 mm. wide, striate, keeled, bearing remains of persistent styles.. Seeds 1 per carpel, up to 5 mm. in diameter, black, glossy; aril fimbriate, sheathing and slightly longer than seed.. Fig. 1/10–12, p. 2.
More
A straggling shrub or woody climber. It can be 5 m long. The young branches are greenish-brown and turn reddish-brown. The leaves are broadly oval and 4-14 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The edges can be slightly wavy. The flowers are in groups on leafy shoots near the ends of branches.
Scandent shrub or liane, to 30 ft. high
Flowers white, sweet scented.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support climber
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 9.14
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

A tropical plant. It grows between 1,000-1,500 m above sea level. It grows in savannah woodland and palm groves.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

The sap of the stem is used as a drink. The leaves are used in sauces.
Uses food invertebrate food material medicinal social use
Edible leaves saps stems
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

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

Images

Habit

Tetracera potatoria habit picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Tetracera potatoria leaf picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)
Tetracera potatoria leaf picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Tetracera potatoria flower picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)
Tetracera potatoria flower picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)
Tetracera potatoria flower picture by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:317471-1
WFO ID wfo-0000408348
COL ID 7BR8Y
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Tetracera obtusata Tetracera potatoria