Edit History
VISMIANTHUS punctatus Mildbr. [family CONNARACEAE]
Date Updated: 19 August 2007
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, (1956) Author: J. H. Hemsley
Names
VISMIANTHUS punctatus Mildbr. [family CONNARACEAE], in N.B.G.B. 12: 706 (1935); E.P. IV. 127: 98, fig. 15 (1938); T.T.C.L. 169 (1949). Type: Tanganyika, Lindi District, Mlinguru, about 20 km. S. of Lindi, Schlieben 5757 (B, holo. †, BM, iso.!)
Information
Much branched shrub to 5 m. high, young branches pubescent, later becoming glabrous with pale brown smooth bark and inconspicuous transverse ringing. Petiole slender, about half length of leaf blade, puberulous; lamina broadly ovate, to 8 cm. long, 5 cm. wide, apex long and narrowly acuminate, base slightly cordate, chartaceous; upper surface sparsely puberulous when young, later glabrescent; lower surface with scattered bifurcate hairs, denser on midrib and main lateral nerves, thickly beset with small dark glandular dots; lateral nerves 4–6, arcuate, ascending. Inflorescence raceme-like, with about 5 flowers; rhachis 1.5–5 cm. long, puberulous. Sepals green with dark red glandular dots and streaks, narrowly elliptic and deeply concave, to 3.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, ± glabrous. Petals white with lines of dark red glandular dots and streaks, obovate to elliptic-oblong, to 5 mm. long, 2.3 mm. wide, glabrous. Five episepalous stamens to 3.5 mm. long, 5 epipetalous to 2.5 mm. long. Ovary ovoid, to 1 mm. long, densely covered with long pale brown hairs, style ± 2 mm. long. Fruit (not fully mature) to 1.7 cm. long, 8 mm. diam., apex narrowed to a slender rostrum; dehiscence probably by ventral suture; outer layer of pericarp thin and brittle when dry, puberulous when young, later glabrescent, with prominent raised nerves and scattered dark raised gland-dots. Seed solitary, with thickened attachment to ventral placenta. Fig. 3.
Range
DISTR. T8 not known elsewhere
Altitude range
800 m.
Distribution
TANGANYIKA Lindi District Rondo Plateau, Mchinjiri, Nov. 1951 (fl.), Eggeling 6402! & Feb. 1952 (fr.), Semsei 647!;TANGANYIKA Newala District Kitangari, Gillman 1315!
Notes
This monotypic genus, known only from the Southern Province, Tanganyika, appears to be frequent on the Rondo and Makonde plateaux. Ripe fruits and mature seeds have not yet been obtained but the immature seed shows the presence of a very interesting basal structure. This takes the form of a series of branched processes, arising apparently from the testa, which are suggestive of a suspensor mechanism comparable with that found in Schellenbergia sterculiifolia (Prain) Parkinson, a monotypic Malayan genus. The basal processes although appearing to be quite separate from the hilum seem to be of arillar derivation. Observations on the method of fruit dehiscence and collections to include mature fruit and seeds are required to supplement the very sparse herbarium material available of this plant.
Date Updated: 19 August 2007
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, (1956) Author: J. H. Hemsley
Names
VISMIANTHUS punctatus Mildbr. [family CONNARACEAE], in N.B.G.B. 12: 706 (1935); E.P. IV. 127: 98, fig. 15 (1938); T.T.C.L. 169 (1949). Type: Tanganyika, Lindi District, Mlinguru, about 20 km. S. of Lindi, Schlieben 5757 (B, holo. †, BM, iso.!)
Information
Much branched shrub to 5 m. high, young branches pubescent, later becoming glabrous with pale brown smooth bark and inconspicuous transverse ringing. Petiole slender, about half length of leaf blade, puberulous; lamina broadly ovate, to 8 cm. long, 5 cm. wide, apex long and narrowly acuminate, base slightly cordate, chartaceous; upper surface sparsely puberulous when young, later glabrescent; lower surface with scattered bifurcate hairs, denser on midrib and main lateral nerves, thickly beset with small dark glandular dots; lateral nerves 4–6, arcuate, ascending. Inflorescence raceme-like, with about 5 flowers; rhachis 1.5–5 cm. long, puberulous. Sepals green with dark red glandular dots and streaks, narrowly elliptic and deeply concave, to 3.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, ± glabrous. Petals white with lines of dark red glandular dots and streaks, obovate to elliptic-oblong, to 5 mm. long, 2.3 mm. wide, glabrous. Five episepalous stamens to 3.5 mm. long, 5 epipetalous to 2.5 mm. long. Ovary ovoid, to 1 mm. long, densely covered with long pale brown hairs, style ± 2 mm. long. Fruit (not fully mature) to 1.7 cm. long, 8 mm. diam., apex narrowed to a slender rostrum; dehiscence probably by ventral suture; outer layer of pericarp thin and brittle when dry, puberulous when young, later glabrescent, with prominent raised nerves and scattered dark raised gland-dots. Seed solitary, with thickened attachment to ventral placenta. Fig. 3.
Range
DISTR. T8 not known elsewhere
Altitude range
800 m.
Distribution
TANGANYIKA Lindi District Rondo Plateau, Mchinjiri, Nov. 1951 (fl.), Eggeling 6402! & Feb. 1952 (fr.), Semsei 647!;TANGANYIKA Newala District Kitangari, Gillman 1315!
Notes
This monotypic genus, known only from the Southern Province, Tanganyika, appears to be frequent on the Rondo and Makonde plateaux. Ripe fruits and mature seeds have not yet been obtained but the immature seed shows the presence of a very interesting basal structure. This takes the form of a series of branched processes, arising apparently from the testa, which are suggestive of a suspensor mechanism comparable with that found in Schellenbergia sterculiifolia (Prain) Parkinson, a monotypic Malayan genus. The basal processes although appearing to be quite separate from the hilum seem to be of arillar derivation. Observations on the method of fruit dehiscence and collections to include mature fruit and seeds are required to supplement the very sparse herbarium material available of this plant.
Date Updated: 19 August 2007
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, (1956) Author: J. H. Hemsley
Names
VISMIANTHUS punctatus Mildbr. [family CONNARACEAE], in N.B.G.B. 12: 706 (1935); E.P. IV. 127: 98, fig. 15 (1938); T.T.C.L. 169 (1949). Type: Tanganyika, Lindi District, Mlinguru, about 20 km. S. of Lindi, Schlieben 5757 (B, holo. †, BM, iso.!)
Information
Much branched shrub to 5 m. high, young branches pubescent, later becoming glabrous with pale brown smooth bark and inconspicuous transverse ringing. Petiole slender, about half length of leaf blade, puberulous; lamina broadly ovate, to 8 cm. long, 5 cm. wide, apex long and narrowly acuminate, base slightly cordate, chartaceous; upper surface sparsely puberulous when young, later glabrescent; lower surface with scattered bifurcate hairs, denser on midrib and main lateral nerves, thickly beset with small dark glandular dots; lateral nerves 4–6, arcuate, ascending. Inflorescence raceme-like, with about 5 flowers; rhachis 1.5–5 cm. long, puberulous. Sepals green with dark red glandular dots and streaks, narrowly elliptic and deeply concave, to 3.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, ± glabrous. Petals white with lines of dark red glandular dots and streaks, obovate to elliptic-oblong, to 5 mm. long, 2.3 mm. wide, glabrous. Five episepalous stamens to 3.5 mm. long, 5 epipetalous to 2.5 mm. long. Ovary ovoid, to 1 mm. long, densely covered with long pale brown hairs, style ± 2 mm. long. Fruit (not fully mature) to 1.7 cm. long, 8 mm. diam., apex narrowed to a slender rostrum; dehiscence probably by ventral suture; outer layer of pericarp thin and brittle when dry, puberulous when young, later glabrescent, with prominent raised nerves and scattered dark raised gland-dots. Seed solitary, with thickened attachment to ventral placenta. Fig. 3.
Range
DISTR. T8 not known elsewhere
Altitude range
800 m.
Distribution
TANGANYIKA Lindi District Rondo Plateau, Mchinjiri, Nov. 1951 (fl.), Eggeling 6402! & Feb. 1952 (fr.), Semsei 647!;TANGANYIKA Newala District Kitangari, Gillman 1315!
Notes
This monotypic genus, known only from the Southern Province, Tanganyika, appears to be frequent on the Rondo and Makonde plateaux. Ripe fruits and mature seeds have not yet been obtained but the immature seed shows the presence of a very interesting basal structure. This takes the form of a series of branched processes, arising apparently from the testa, which are suggestive of a suspensor mechanism comparable with that found in Schellenbergia sterculiifolia (Prain) Parkinson, a monotypic Malayan genus. The basal processes although appearing to be quite separate from the hilum seem to be of arillar derivation. Observations on the method of fruit dehiscence and collections to include mature fruit and seeds are required to supplement the very sparse herbarium material available of this plant.
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