MAERUA oblongifolia (Forsk.) A. Rich. [family CAPPARACEAE]

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, (1964) Author: J. ELFFERS, R. A. GRAHAM AND G. P. DEWOLF
Names
MAERUA oblongifolia (Forsk.) A. Rich. [family CAPPARACEAE], Tent. Fl. Abyss. 1: 32, t. 6 (1847); F.T.A. 1: 85 (1868); Gilg in P.O.A. C: 187 (1895); Gilg & Bened. in E.J. 53: 260 (1915); Gilg in V.E. 3(1): 253 (1915); Chiov., Fl. Somala 2: 9 (1932); F. W. Andr., Fl. Pl. A.-E. Sudan 1: 52 (1950); F.W.T.A., ed. 2, 1: 89 (1954). Type: Arabia, Yemen, Môr [nr. Luhaiya], Forskål (C, holo.!)
Capparis oblongifolia Forsk. [family CAPPARACEAE], Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 99 (1775)
Maerua virgata Gilg [family CAPPARACEAE], in E.J. 33: 226 (1903); Gilg & Bened. in E.J. 53: 257 (1915); F. W. Andr., Fl. Pl. A.-E. Sudan 1: 52 (1950); Hauman & Wilczek in F.C.B. 2: 489 (1951). Types: Congo Republic, SW. of Lake Albert, Stuhlmann 2857 (B, syn.!) & 2861 (B, syn. !)
Maerua scebelensis Chiov. [family CAPPARACEAE], in Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital. n.s., 34: 841 (1927). Types: Somali Republic (S.), on the R. Shebelli, Paoli 4 (FI, syn. !) & Villagio Duca degli Abruzzi, Paoli 17 (FI, syn. !)
Information
Scrambling shrub up to 3 m. tall, or suffrutescent with lax sometimes decumbent or short erect branches. Young twigs glabrous or minutely scabrous. Leaves shortly petiolate, simple; blade narrowly to broadly oblong, 1.5–4 cm. long, 0.6–2 cm. wide, rounded to shortly attenuate at each end or subacute at the apex, sometimes emarginate, rigidly mucronate, leathery, pale green, glabrous, with the midrib prominent beneath. Inflorescence a dense terminal or short axillary corymbose raceme or the flowers single in the upper leaf-axils; pedicels 3–17 mm. long, glabrous to densely pubescent. Sepals (4–)6–14 mm. long, the margin and sometimes the external surface puberulous; receptacle 4–12 mm. long; disk with the free rim scarcely apparent. Petals 5–9 mm. long, greenish-yellow. Stamens 30–80; filaments 1.5–3 cm. long, white; anthers 1–2.5 mm. long. Ovary cylindrical, 2–4 mm. long, glabrous. Fruits cylindrical, 2–3 cm. long, divided into 2–3, somewhat alternating rows of globular sections parallel to the axis, sometimes markedly constricted between, verruculose, usually glabrous.
Range
DISTR. U1–3; K1, 2, 4 Sudan and Congo Republics west to Senegal and Mali, also Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somali Republic to Arabia
Altitude range
300–1350 m.
Distribution
KENYA Northern Frontier Province Furroli, 13 Sept. 1952, Gillett 13841 !;KENYA Turkana District about 21 km. SW. of Lodwar, 27 July 1954, Hemming 343 !;KENYA Meru District Isiolo, 9 Mar. 1952, Gillett 12504!UGANDA Acholi District Chua, Mt. Rom, Eggeling 2366 !;UGANDA Karamoja District Moroto, 2 Jan. 1937, A. S. Thomas 2138 ! & Lorengidwat, Feb. 1936, Eggeling 2828 !
Notes
VARIATION. M. oblongifolia is an exceedingly variable species; M. virgata appears to be merely a form of it with a shorter receptacle. The size of the flowers and the size and shape of the leaves vary within wide limits. Although maintained here as a separate species, it is doubtful that M. macrantha Gilg will prove, on more intensive study, to be worthy of more than varietal recognition. Similarly M. arenaria Hook. f. & Thoms., from India, is very doubtfully distinct at specific level.  Although M. oblongifolia is normally a large scrambling shrub, collections from Ghana and Nigeria and one from Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park, Buechner 33 !, demonstrate a suffrutescent life-form.
MAERUA oblongifolia (Forsk.) A. Rich. [family CAPPARACEAE]
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