Entry From
Flora of Tropical Africa, Vol 6, Part 1, page 441, (1913) Author: (By J. G. Baker, with additions by C. H. Wright.)
Names
CENTROPLACUS glaucinus Pierre [family PANDACEAE], in Bull. Soc. Linn. Par. n.s. i. 115. —Gilg in Engl. Jahrb. xl. 516, fig. 3.
Microdesmis paniculata Pax [family PANDACEAE], in Engl. Jahrb. xxviii. 25, and in Engl. Pflanzenr. Euphorb.-Cluytieæ, 108.
Information
A tree, 35–50 ft. high; branchlets slender, terete, glabrous. Leaves oblong or oblong-elliptic, gradually or subcaudate-acuminate to an acute apex, obtuse at the base, 3–7 in. long, 1–2 1/2 in. broad, rather distantly and somewhat obscurely serrate, thinly coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, dull below, slightly shining above; lateral nerves 5–7 on each side, faintly looped well within the margin, prominent below, a little raised above; tertiary nerves rather faint, close, spreading at right angles to the midrib; petiole 2–3 lin. long, blackish and slightly wrinkled when dry, glabrous; stipules small, triangular-subulate, scarcely 1/2 lin. long. Male panicles 1 1/2–3 in. long; axis and branches puberulous; bracts subulate, obtuse, about 1/2 lin. long, puberulous; pedicels 1/2 lin. long, puberulous. Sepals 5, slightly unequal, ovate, obtuse or rounded at the apex, about 1/2 lin. long, coriaceous, ciliate, glabrous within, yellow-puberulous on the outside. Petals 5, broadly obovate or obovate-elliptic, rounded at both ends, about 1 lin. long and broad, slightly coriaceous, puberulous on both sides. Stamens 5; filaments short; anthers 1/6 lin. long. Disk fleshy, slightly lobed between the filaments, glabrous. Rudimentary ovary columnar, 3/4 lin. long, entire or at length trifid, densely villous. Female inflorescence subracemose, 2–3 in. long, puberulous. Calyx cupular; lobes rounded, short, puberulous outside. Disk saucer-shaped, fleshy, 5-lobed, lobes rounded. Staminodes very small, rounded, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, densely puberulous or tomentellous; styles short, subulate, entire. Entire capsule not seen; exocarp slightly bony, tomentellous outside; endocarp thin, shining inside. Seeds ellipsoid, 1 3/4 lin. long, 1 1/2 lin. broad, black and shining.
Distribution
Gaboon Lower Guinea Klaine, 1232!Spanish Guinea Lower Guinea Weyn Oko, Tessmann, 675!Cameroons Upper Guinea Bipinde, Zenker, 1157! 1743! 1761! 1775! 2030! 2966! 3016! 3109! 3331! 3374! 3478!
Notes
Pax, not having seen female flowers, placed this species in Microdesmis, of the tribe Galearieæ. The genera in this tribe, however, have always a solitary ovule in each cell.