JASMINUM abyssinicum [Hochst. ex] DC. [family OLEACEAE]

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, (1952) Author: W. B. TURRILL
Names
JASMINUM abyssinicum [Hochst. ex] DC. [family OLEACEAE], Prodr. 8: 311 (1844); F.T.A. 4:11 (1902); E.J. 51: 84 (1913); F.P.N.A. 55 (1947); T.T.C.L. 389 (1949). Type: Abyssinia, Tigré, Aduwa, Schimper 169 (K, iso.!). The Index Kewensis reference to R. Br. in Salt, Voy. Abyss., App. 63 (1814) is to a nomen nudum.
Information
Generally a climbing or a scrambling shrub with the young branches, the inflorescences, and the calyces puberulous or tomentose to nearly or quite glabrous. Leaves trifoliolate, opposite; leaflet blades elliptic to ovate, more or less acute, very variable in size but usually about 5–6 cm. long and 3–4 cm. broad (up to 11 cm. long and 5 cm. broad), midrib and lateral veins impressed on upper and prominent on lower surface; petiolule to terminal leaflet 1–2 cm. long, to lateral leaflets 0.2–0.6 cm. long. Inflorescences terminal and lateral, the final cymes having 3 to about 50 flowers, the lower numbers on the lateral and the higher on the terminal ones. Calyx (at anthesis) 3–4.5 mm. long and 2.5–4 mm. in diameter at the apex which is often more or less truncate. Corollas scented, white; tube 1.3–2.5 cm. long.
Range
DISTR. U2—4; K3—6; T1, 2, 7
Altitude range
690-2700 m.
Distribution
KENYA Nakuru District Endabarra, Mau forest, Jan. 1946, Bally 4840!KENYA Machakos District Chyulus, Bally 7937!TANGANYIKA Masai District Olomoti Volcano, at Odonyowass Camp, Sept. 1932, B. D. Burtt 4377!;TANGANYIKA Bukoba District 20 miles S.W. of Bukoba, Sept. 1931, Haarer 2152!UGANDA Mbale District Elgon, Mt. Nkokonjeru, March 1927, Snowden 1041!,UGANDA Kigezi District Kigezi, May 1939, Purseglove 725!
Distribution (external)
Abyssinia
Belgian Congo
Notes
VARIATION. None of the abundant East African material examined exactly matches the type from Abyssinia. After prolonged study it has been tentatively decided that the name J. abyssinicum Hochst. ex DC. should be used for the whole complex although the nomenclatural type is not centrally characteristic of the species either morphologically or geographically. Another extreme of variation has been called J. fraseri Brenan in K.B. 1949, 89 (Type: Tanganyika, Iringa District, Kisinga, Aug.-Sept. 1931, Fraser 17, K. holo.!). This certainly differs from the type of J. abyssinicum in the dense shaggy indumentum of the calyx and inflorescence branches. Indumentum, however, is so variable a character within the species, if such it be considered, that its taxonomic value remains uncertain in the absence of cytogenetical and detailed field researches. The calyx is also slightly larger than the average in the group and is markedly truncate with hardly any development of teeth. Further comments are made under J. fluminense Vell. (p. 23).
JASMINUM abyssinicum [Hochst. ex] DC. [family OLEACEAE]
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