COMMICARPUS grandiflorus (A. Rich.) Standl. [family NYCTAGINACEAE]

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, (1996) Author: CHRISTOPHER WHITEHOUSE
Names
COMMICARPUS grandiflorus (A. Rich.) Standl. [family NYCTAGINACEAE], in Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb. 18: 101 (1916); Meikle in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edin. 36: 241, fig. 2C (1978); Troupin, Fl. Rwanda 1: 206, fig. 44/4 (1978); Stannard in F.Z. 9(1): 20 (1988); Blundell, Wild Fl. E. Afr., reprint: 54 (1992); Thulin, Fl. Somalia 1: 172 (1993); U.K.W.F., ed. 2: 83, t. 19 (1994). Types: Ethiopia, Schire [Chiré], Quartin-Dillon (P, syn.) & Tacazze R., near Djeladjeranne [Tchélatchékanné in protologue], Schimper 1719 (P, K!, syn.)
Boerhavia grandiflora A. Rich. [family NYCTAGINACEAE], Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 209 (1850); R.E. Fr., Wiss. Ergebn. Schwed. Rhod.-Kongo-Exped. 1: 33 (1914)
Boerhavia fruticosa Dalzell [family NYCTAGINACEAE], in Dalzell & Gibson, Bombay Fl.: 213 (1861). Type: India, “on Sewnere Fort and the Ghauts east of Bombay”, Dalzell (K, holo.!)
Boerhavia plumbaginea (A. Rich.) Asch. & Schweinf. var. grandiflora [family NYCTAGINACEAE], Beitr. Fl. Aethiop.: 166 (1867)
Boerhavia pentandra [family NYCTAGINACEAE], [sensu Baker & C.H. Wright in F.T.A. 6(1): 7 (1909), pro parte, non Burch.]
Commicarpus plumbagineus var. viscosa [family NYCTAGINACEAE], [sensu Robyns, F.P.N.A. 1: 141 (1948); Balle in F.C.B. 2: 89 (1951), non (Asch. & Schweinf.) Robyns]
Commicarpus pentandrus [family NYCTAGINACEAE], [sensu F.P.N.A. 1: 142 (1948); Balle in F.C.B. 2: 89 (1951), non (Burch.) Heimerl]
Commicarpus boissieri [family NYCTAGINACEAE], [sensu U.K.W.F.: 162 (1974), non (Heimerl) Cufod.]
Information
Prostrate, scrambling or ascending, very viscous, pilose herb; stems up to 1.8 m., underground part up to 1.5 cm. thick. Leaves ovate, up to 5.5 cm. long, 4.5 cm. wide, the base truncate to cuneate, apex rounded, acute or apiculate, margins sinuate, dark green above, paler beneath, strongly aromatic ( fide Tanner 1156); petiole up to 2 cm. long. Inflorescence a 4–9-flowered umbel, rarely with a verticel below (not in East Africa), on a peduncle up to 4 cm. long. Flowers infundibuliform, 6–9(–13) mm. long, 2–5(–8) mm. wide, closing in the afternoon; upper perianth pink or mauve, rarely white, with green base and stripes, 4–6.5(–10) mm. long. Stamens ± 3; filaments pink; anthers paler or darker. Style pink. Anthocarps clavate, 6–7 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, covered with shortly stalked yellow or reddish glands.
Range
DISTR. U 1, 2; K 1–4, 6; T 1–3, 5–7
Altitude range
850–2000 m.
Distribution
UGANDA Acholi District Chua, Agoro, 12 Nov. 1945, A.S. Thomas 4358!;KENYA Northern Frontier Province Mathews Range, 12 June 1959, Kerfoot 1155!;TANZANIA Musoma District near Banagi, 100 m. N. of bridge in Mugungu R., 16 Oct. 1966, H.M.H. Braun 83!;UGANDA Toro District Ruwenzori, Ruimi [Wimi], June 1893/94, Scott Elliot 7943!;UGANDA Ankole District Mbarara, Oct. 1925, Maitland 844!KENYA W. Suk District Kongelai escarpment, Dec. 1964, Tweedie 2964!;KENYA Machakos District Machakos–Kitui, by Athi R., 3 June 1956, Verdcourt 1491!TANZANIA Masai District off Nairobi road near Kenya border, 18 Dec. 1969, Richards 24960!;TANZANIA Dodoma District no. 2 dam, 26 Mar. 1957, Disney 57/12!
Distribution (external)
; Egypt (Sinai)
S. Sahara (Tibesti)
Sudan
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Somalia
Zaire
Malawi
also Saudi Arabia
Yemen
W. India
Notes
An extremely viscous plant, which according to Verdcourt 2883 is “quite definitely the most revoltingly sticky plant I have ever had to deal with. Whole plant is sticky and fruits are covered with yellow blobs much worse than ‘seccotine’ rather like warm polyisobutylene put on cellotape”. The fruits can supposedly trap insects and birds ( Quelea quelea ) may even get caught up in the stickiness of the plant ( fide Disney 57/12).
COMMICARPUS grandiflorus (A. Rich.) Standl. [family NYCTAGINACEAE]
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