Name
Identification
Hermannia waltherioides K.Schum. [family STERCULIACEAE ] (stored under name); Mahernia waltherioides K. Sch. [family STERCULIACEAE ]
Related name
- Hermannia waltherioides
- Mahernia waltherioides
Flora
Entry for Hermannia waltherioides K.Schum. [family STERCULIACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, Author: MARTIN CHEEK AND LAURENCE DORR
Names
Hermannia waltherioides K.Schum. [family STERCULIACEAE], in E.J. 33: 312 (1902). Type: Kenya, Machakos [Matichak], Scott Elliot 6836 (B? holo., presumed destroyed; K!, iso.)
Hermannia sp. A [family STERCULIACEAE], of Agnew in U.K.W.F., ed. 2: 96, f. 25 (1994)
Information
Shrub 0.3–0.6 m tall; stems purplish black, 2.5–6 mm diameter at base, softly hairy, with stellate hairs, at length glabrous. Leaf-blade greyish green, oblong-elliptic to ovate-rhombic, (2–)2.6–4.2≈(0.6–)0.8–1.5 cm, apex rounded, margin shallowly and obliquely serrate, base cuneate, rarely rounded, nerves 6–8(–10) on each side of the midrib, upper surface densely silvery stellate-hairy, less dense on the lower surface; petiole 3–5 mm long; stipules narrowly lanceolate-subulate, 3–5(–7) mm long. Inflorescence a terminal thyrse (2.5–)3.5–6(–12) cm long, moderately stellate-hairy, partial-inflorescences 4–7, 1–2(–4.5) cm long at base, each bearing (1–)2–5(–7) flowers, lowest partial peduncle 3–7(–20) mm long; peduncular bracts subulate, 4–10≈1.5–2 mm; partial-rhachis bracts 1–2 mm long; pedicellar bracts absent; pedicel 2.5–6.5 mm long. Flowers erect, yellow, tinged orange, 6–12 mm wide. Calyx base campanulate, 2.5–3≈3–4.5 mm, lobes narrowly triangular, 3–4≈1.2–1.8 mm, indumentum as leaf-blade. Petals reflexed, weakly clawed, 5–7≈3.2–4.5 mm, blade obovate or transversely elliptic, claw 2–3≈1.8 mm, margins not involute, glabrous. Stamens with filaments 1.3–2≈0.3–0.8 mm, oblong, with a pair of patent appendages 0.8–1.5 mm from the base, appendages falcate, 0.5–1≈0.15 mm, glabrous, anthers 4–5≈0.7–1.3 mm. Ovary ovoid, 2.5–2.8≈1.3–1.8 mm; style 4 mm long. Immature fruit capsule narrowly ovoid, 5-angular, 13≈5 mm, slightly stellate-hairy; seeds unknown.
Range
DISTR. K 4; T 2 not known elsewhere
Altitude range
1500–2000 m
Distribution
KENYA Machakos District 20 Dec. 1931, van Someren 1586! & Kilima Kiu, Dec. 1933, Jex-Blake 5896! & Chumbi Hill, 30 June 1963, Verdcourt 3673!TANZANIA Masai District Loliondo, 13 Nov. 1953, Tanner 1812!
Notes
LOCAL USES. None are recorded. This species is restricted in its distribution. Of the nine specimens known, eight are from Machakos District of Kenya. The other is from northern Tanzania. The Machakos specimens, insofar as detailed locality data are available, are restricted to a small area in the neighbourhood of the Mua hills at the western end of the district. Natural habitat in this area, inhabited by the Akamba, is becoming heavily goat-grazed and is also steadily being cleared for agriculture and habitation (Beentje, pers. comm. 2003). However, much ranching also occurs here, and this is not likely to threaten the species (Luke pers. comm. 2003). H. waltherioides is rated here as vulnerable (VU B2ab(iii)) i.e. vulnerable to extinction on the basis of being known from less than 10 locations, with an area of occupancy of less than 2,000 km2, and given a continuing decline in the quality of its habitat. An on-the-ground conservation assessment might change the conservation status of the species since it is quite likely that it is now extinct due to clearance at some of its former sites. Hermannia waltherioides is closely related and likely to be confused with H. athiensis and H. uhligii which are also shrubs with Waltheria -like, cuneate-based leaves and with, short, dense, terminal inflorescences bearing bright yellow or orange flowers with reflexed petals. However, H. waltherioides can be distinguished from these, and all other East African species of the genus by the pair of transverse appendages which make the staminal filaments cruciform. No other species in our area has filament appendages. Flowers recorded as aromatic (Tanner 1812).