Compilation
Tetracera leiocarpa

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.