MIMUSOPS fruticosa A. DC. [family SAPOTACEAE]

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, (1968) Author: J. H. Hemsley
Names
MIMUSOPS fruticosa A. DC. [family SAPOTACEAE], in DC, Prodr. 8: 202 (1844); Baker in F.T.A. 3: 508 (1877); Engl., E.M. 8: 66, t. 23/B (1904); Dubard in Ann. Mus. Col. Marseille, sér. 3, 3: 50, fig. 18 (1915); T.T.C.L.: 565(1949); U.O.P.Z.: 353 (1949); K.T.S.: 528 (1961). Type: Bojer specimen from plant cultivated in Mauritius, originally from East Africa (BM, prob. iso.!)
MIMUSOPS fruticosa Bojer [family SAPOTACEAE], Hort. Maurit.: 198 (1837), nomen subnudum
MIMUSOPS kirkii Baker [family SAPOTACEAE], in F.T.A. 3: 507 (1877); Engl., E.M. 8: 67 (1904). Types: Mozambique, Lower Shire valley, Shamo, Kirk (K, syn. !, four gatherings, various dates)
MIMUSOPS kilimanensis Engl. [family SAPOTACEAE], E.M. 8: 67(1904); T.T.C.L.: 566(1949). Type: Mozambique, Zambezia, near Quelimane [Kilimane], Puguruni, Stuhlmann 1007 (B, holo. †, HBG, iso.!)
MIMUSOPS usambarensis Engl. [family SAPOTACEAE], P.O.A. C: 307 (1895), pro parte, emend. Engl., E.M. 8: 74, t. 29/B (1904); T.T.C.L.: 565(1949). Type: Tanganyika, Tanga District, Moa, Holst 3043 (HBG, lecto.!, K, isolecto.!)
MIMUSOPS usaramensis Engl. [family SAPOTACEAE], E.M. 8: 66 (1904); T.T.C.L.: 566 (1949). Type: Tanganyika, Dar es Salaam, Schlechter (B, holo. †)
MIMUSOPS busseana Engl. [family SAPOTACEAE], E.M. 8: 79 (1904); T.T.C.L.: 566 (1949). Type: Tanganyika/Mozambique, on middle reaches of R. Ruvuma near Kwa Mtora, Busse 1025 (B, holo. †, EA, iso.!)
MIMUSOPS zeyheri [family SAPOTACEAE], [sensu Meeuse in Bothalia 7: 361 (1960) & in F.S.A. 26: 47 (1963), pro parte, quoad syn. M. kirkii, non Sond.]
Information
Shrub or much-branched small to medium-sized tree, height up to 20 m. Young branches and petioles with brownish puberulence, becoming glabrous. Petioles 0.5–1.5(–2.5) cm. long. Leaf-lamina coriaceous, eUiptic-obovate to obovate, rarely ± broadly elliptic, 3.5–8 cm. long, 1.5–5.5 cm. wide, apex rounded to emarginate, rarely subacuminate, broadly to narrowly cuneate; upper surface dark glossy green, lower surface dull green, subglabrous or minutely puberulous with finely raised reticulate venation; lateral nerves ascending. Pedicels curved, 1–2.5 cm. long, with brownish pubescence. Outer sepals densely brownish pubescent, lanceolate, up to 9 mm. long. Corolla-lobes cream, trifid, linear-lanceolate, up to 8.5 mm. long; tube up to 2.5 mm. long. Filaments up to 2 mm. long; staminodes linear-lanceolate, up to 5 mm. long, densely pubescent externally. Ovary ± 2 mm. long, densely pilose; style slender and tapering, up to 1.2 cm. long. Mature fruit an orange or yellowish-orange to reddish globose to subglobose berry, 1–2.5 cm. in diameter; skin firm and tough. Seeds 1–5, rarely 6, obliquely elliptic or ± oblong, up to 2 cm. long and 5 mm. thick; testa glossy, deep brown, hard and horny; scar sub-basal. Fig. 11.
Range
DISTR. K7; T3, 6, 8; Z; P
Altitude range
0–750 m.
Distribution
KENYA Kilifi District Mida, C. W. Elliot in F.D. 1499 !KENYA Lamu District Mkumbi [Mkumbe], 5 Apr. 1910 (fl.), Battiscombe 232 ! & S. bank of Tana R., 8 Nov. 1957 (fl. & fr.), Greenway & Rawlins 9481 !TANGANYIKA W. Usambara Mts. [NW. foot], Mkundi, Gillman 774 !TANGANYIKA Tanga District Umba R. E. of Mwakijembe, 12 Aug. 1953 (fr.), Drummond & Hemsley 3712 !TANGANYIKA Rufiji District Mafia, Chole I., 21 Sept. 1937 (fr.), Greenway 5286 !ZANZIBAR Zanzibar I., Mbweni, Feb. 1930 (fl.), Vaughan 1270! & NE. Mkunduchi, 27 Nov. 1930 (fr.), Greenway 2595 !ZANZIBAR Pemba I. , Jamvini, 12 June 1928, Vaughan 338 !
Distribution (external)
Mozambique
Rhodesia
Comoro Is
Madagascar
Notes
VARIATION. A very variable species closely related to M. zeyheri Sond. The species in the present sense has been taken to include a series of taxa forming a well-defined coastal distribution pattern from Kenya to Mozambique and SE. Rhodesia, with outliers in the Comoro Is. and Madagascar. Petioles in the southern part of the range tend to be long in relation to the lamina and extreme forms contrast with the short petioles of material from Kenya and Tanganyika. Occasional long-petioled specimens, however, have been collected in Tanganyika. The texture and shape of the leaves are variable; stiffly coriaceous leaves are usually to be found on shrubs from the coastal thickets, and those of a more chartaceous nature from trees in riverine forest. See also under 5, M. zeyheri.
MIMUSOPS fruticosa A. DC. [family SAPOTACEAE]
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