Tragiella natalensis Pax & K.Hoffm.

Species

Angiosperms > Malpighiales > Euphorbiaceae > Tragiella

Characteristics

A creeping or scandent, puberulous, pubescent and urticating perennial herb up to 3 m. high when supported, commonly shorter.. Young shoots villous.. Stems bright green, rigid.. Petioles 0.5–5.5 cm. long, pubescent, hispid and setose; blades elliptic-ovate, ovate-lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, 4–11(–14) cm. long, 2–5.5(–7) cm. wide, acute or shortly acutely acuminate at the apex, rounded, truncate or shallowly cordate at the base, margin closely and sharply serrate or biserrate with the teeth patent, membranaceous, (3–)5(–7)-nerved from the base, lateral nerves 3–5 pairs, evenly to sparingly puberulous and pubescent and with urticating hairs along the midrib and nerves above and beneath, very dark green above, paler beneath.. Stipules linear-lanceolate, 4–5 mm. long, acute, sparingly pubescent or hispid without, ± glabrous within.. Inflorescences 2–10 cm. long, slender, lax-flowered, with a peduncle 1.5–3 cm. long; axis puberulous, hispid and setose; ♂ bracts patent-reflexed, oblong-oblanceolate or subspathulate, 2–3 mm. long, entire or denticulate, evenly or sparingly pubescent or subglabrous; ♀ bracts rhombic-ovate to transversely rhombic-ovate, 5–6 mm. long, 3–8 mm. wide, serrate or denticulate, evenly or sparingly pubescent; ♀ bracteoles 2, linear-oblanceolate, 5–6 mm. long, entire, pubescent.. Male flowers: pedicels 2–3 mm. long; calyx-lobes broadly ovate, 1 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, subacute or obtuse, pubescent without, glabrous within, pale yellow-green; stamens 0.8 mm. long, filaments brownish, anthers minute, yellow-orange; pistillode minute, depressed-hemispherical.. Female flowers: pedicels 2 mm. long, stouter than those of ♂, densely pubescent; calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, accrescent to linear-lanceolate or linear, 2 mm. long, extending to 5(–10) mm. in fruit, acute, pinnately lobulate, with (5–)7–10 narrowly lanceolate to linear lobules on each side, and a small lanceolate terminal laminula, densely, evenly or sparingly pubescent without and within, with the lateral lobules densely beset with stinging hairs, membranous and greenish at first, later becoming ligneous and stramineous; ovary trilobate, 2 mm. diameter, densely adpressed-pubescent with rows of stinging hairs on the keels of the cocci, dark green; stylar column infundibuliform, 3 mm. high, adpressed pubescent, glabrous within, stigmas 3, short, sharply recurved, yellowish green.. Fruit deeply trilobate, 4 mm. deep, 6.5 mm. wide, densely to evenly hispid and setose, green, spotted with brown.. Seeds 3 mm. diameter, pale greyish brown, streaked and mottled with dark reddish brown, hilum whitish.. Fig. 60.
More
Perennial, dwarf shrub, 0.5-3.0 m high; monoecious; twining or scrambling. Stipules linear-lanceolate, membranous. Leaves membranaceous, elliptic-ovate to oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, base truncate to cordate, apex shortly acutely acuminate. Inflorescences laxly few-flowered; male bracts patent-reflexed, oblanceolate-oblong to subspathulate, entire or subentire, pubescent; male bracteoles linear-oblanceolate, very fugacious; female bracts rhombic-ovate to transversely ovate, serrate or dentate, pubescent; female bracteoles linear to linear-oblanceolate, pubescent. Male flowers buds subglobose; calyx tube constricted; calyx lobes broadly ovate, pubescent without, glabrous within; stamens < 1 mm long; pistillode minute, depressed-hemispherical. Female flowers calyx lobes 6; ovary 3-lobed, densely appressed-pubescent. Flowering time Oct.-Mar. Fruit deeply 3-lobed, smooth. Seeds globose.
Female flowers: pedicels 1 mm long, 2 mm long in fruit, densely pubescent; calyx lobes 6, 2 × 1 mm, accrescent to 8 × 3 mm, pinnatifid, with 11–21 lobules, the terminal lobule lanceolate, the lateral lobules subulate, ± equalling the width of the calyx-lobe rhachis, hispid and setose, greenish, the calyx-lobe rhachis narrowly loriform, sparingly pubescent without, glabrous within, yellowish green, becoming hardened and stramineous within; ovary 1.5–2 mm in diameter, 3-lobed, densely appressed-pubescent, setose on the keels; stylar column 3 mm high, infundibuliform, appressed-pubescent, stigmas short, granulate, recurved.
Leaf blades 3–14 × 1.5–8 cm, elliptic-ovate to oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, shortly acutely acuminate at the apex, closely and sharply patent serrate with rounded sinuses or sharply patent biserrate with rounded sinuses, truncate to cordate at the base, membranaceous, 5–7(9)-nerved from the base, sparingly to evenly puberulous and weakly hispid on the upper surface, evenly to densely pubescent beneath, and setose along the midrib and main nerves on both surfaces; lateral nerves in 3–5 pairs, not or scarcely prominent above or beneath.
Inflorescences 2–5.5 cm long, the peduncle 1–3 cm long, ± laxly few-flowered; male bracts 2–3 mm long, patent-reflexed, oblanceolate-oblong to subspathulate, entire or subentire, pubescent; male bracteoles 1.5 mm long, linear-oblanceolate, very fugacious; female bracts 4–6 × 6–8 mm, rhombic-ovate to transversely ovate, serrate or dentate, pubescent; female bracteoles 2, 5 mm long, linear to linear-oblanceolate, pubescent.
Male flowers: pedicels 2 mm long; buds subglobose; calyx tube constricted; calyx lobes 1 × 1–1.5 mm, broadly ovate, pubescent without, glabrous within, pale greenish-yellow; stamens less than 1 mm long; pistillode minute, depressed-hemispherical.
Creeping or scandent perennial herb, up to 3 m high, patently pubescent and urticating. Leaves long-petioled, membranous, ovate or ovate-oblong, acuminate, margin closely and sharply serrate. Flowers green.
A twining or scrambling, urticating perennial herb, monoecious; stems up to 3 m long; indumentum a mixture of short soft hairs, longer stiffer hairs and stinging bristles.
Seeds 3 mm in diameter, globose, dark grey with whitish wavy lines, and spotted, flecked and mottled with dark purplish-brown.
Stipules 4–7.5 mm long, linear-lanceolate, membranous, sparingly pubescent without, glabrous within, green.
Fruit 4.5 × 7 mm, deeply 3-lobed, smooth, evenly appressed-pubescent and hispid, setose on the keels.
Petioles 0.5–8 cm long, indumentum similar to that of the stems.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support climber
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality monoecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.75 - 3.0
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Nitrogen fixer -
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Environment

Light -
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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

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

Cultivation

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Distribution

Tragiella natalensis world distribution map, present in Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, eSwatini, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:357923-1
WFO ID wfo-0000326980
COL ID 57W4F
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Sphaerostylis natalensis Tragia ambigua Tragiella natalensis Tragia ambigua var. urticans Tragia mitis var. oblongifolia Tragia natalensis