Compilation
Vahea senegalensis

A dense shrub up to 24 ft. high, or more commonly a strong climber, glabrous except the inflorescences; tendrils long, branched; young branches pale or almost black when dry, dotted with minute lenticels. Leaves oblong, shortly and rather abruptly acuminate, subacute or rather obtuse at the base, 3–4 in. long, 1 1/4–1 3/4 in. broad, thinly coriaceous, glossy and dark above, much paler beneath; midrib flat or slightly convex above, distinctly raised below; lateral nerves 8–10 on each side, oblique, very fine above, somewhat stouter and more distinctly raised beneath; marginal arches inconspicuous; veins neatly anastomosing and raised on both sides; petiole 3–5 lin. long. Flowers in terminal shortly peduncled many-flowered rather dense fulvo-pubescent corymbs or short semiglobose panicles; peduncle rather slender, 1/4–1 in. long; bracts ovate, obtuse, like the pedicels fulvo-pubescent, the latter up to 1 1/2 lin. long. Calyx fulvo-pubescent, 3/4–1 lin. long; sepals ovate, obtuse. Corolla sweet-scented; tube yellowish, slender, slightly widened below the middle, pubescent without, hairy within, 6–6 1/2 lin. long; lobes linear-oblong, obtuse, pure white with a yellow base, 8–9 1/2 lin. long, 2 1/2 lin. broad, glabrous. Anthers linear-oblong. Ovary subtruncate, glabrous except for a few very minute adpressed hairs in the upper part. Style and stigma 1 1/2 lin. long, the latter cylindric, shortly bifid. Fruit orange-coloured with grey patches, ovoid to globose, 2 1/2 to almost 4 in. long, top slightly depressed, pericarp elastic; seeds 15–20, embedded in a yellow watery pulp.