Information

Small tree up to 8 (–12) m. high or more frequently (in E. Africa) a much branched coppicing shrub up to 5 m. high. Bark slightly fibrous, grey-brown to blackish; branchlets reddish brown to light grey, fibrous; young shoots tomentose to densely pubescent, later becoming glabrescent, or glabrous except for the ± contiguous rufous scales. Short horizontal spur shoots usually present. Leaves opposite or subopposite, usually borne along the length of the spur shoots but tending to cluster towards the apex; lamina coriaceous, narrowly elliptic to broadly obovate or subcircular (especially on sucker shoots), 3–6.5(–8) cm. long, l.5–4(–4.5) cm. wide, apex slightly refuse to rounded or acute, mucronate, base cuneate to rounded, from densely tomentose to glabrous (except for the scales); scales silvery or golden and due to their wavy margins may present a rather scurfy appearance, contiguous to scattered, sometimes appearing impressed in subsp. volkensii; lateral nerves 3–9 pairs, subprominent to prominent beneath, visible above; petiole up to 5 mm. long. Inflorescence of short, sometimes rather congested spikes up to 3 cm. long, axillary, occasionally branched, often appearing on leafless branches (especially on spur shoots) in the axils of scars of fallen leaves; peduncles ± 0.7 cm. long. Flowers (fig. 3/20, p. 14) pale yellow to yellow, fragrant. Lower receptacle 1.5 mm. long; upper receptacle campanulate to shortly infundibuliform, 2–3 mm. long and wide, lepidote and otherwise densely pubescent to nearly glabrous. Sepals deltate. Petals spathulate to very broadly obovate or subcircular, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, 1–2.5 mm. wide, emarginate, clawed, glabrous. Stamen-filaments 2–4.5 mm. long; anthers 0.4–0.6 mm. long. Disk with a pilose margin free for 0.7–0.8 mm. Style 3–4 mm. long. Fruit (fig. 5/20, p. 16) oval to subcircular in outline, up to 3.5 cm. long and wide, often much smaller, glabrous except for the scales; apical peg absent or very short; stipe up to 11 mm. long. Cotyledons with petioles 10–11 mm. long; germination epigeal. Scales (fig. 2/20, p. 13) irregularly undulate in outline, (50–)75–100 μ in diameter, marginal cells 8–12, mostly retusely scalloped.

Information

Small tree up to 8 (–12) m. high or more frequently (in E. Africa) a much branched coppicing shrub up to 5 m. high. Bark slightly fibrous, grey-brown to blackish; branchlets reddish brown to light grey, fibrous; young shoots tomentose to densely pubescent, later becoming glabrescent, or glabrous except for the ± contiguous rufous scales. Short horizontal spur shoots usually present. Leaves opposite or subopposite, usually borne along the length of the spur shoots but tending to cluster towards the apex; lamina coriaceous, narrowly elliptic to broadly obovate or subcircular (especially on sucker shoots), 3–6.5(–8) cm. long, l.5–4(–4.5) cm. wide, apex slightly refuse to rounded or acute, mucronate, base cuneate to rounded, from densely tomentose to glabrous (except for the scales); scales silvery or golden and due to their wavy margins may present a rather scurfy appearance, contiguous to scattered, sometimes appearing impressed in subsp. volkensii; lateral nerves 3–9 pairs, subprominent to prominent beneath, visible above; petiole up to 5 mm. long. Inflorescence of short, sometimes rather congested spikes up to 3 cm. long, axillary, occasionally branched, often appearing on leafless branches (especially on spur shoots) in the axils of scars of fallen leaves; peduncles ± 0.7 cm. long. Flowers (fig. 3/20, p. 14) pale yellow to yellow, fragrant. Lower receptacle 1.5 mm. long; upper receptacle campanulate to shortly infundibuliform, 2–3 mm. long and wide, lepidote and otherwise densely pubescent to nearly glabrous. Sepals deltate. Petals spathulate to very broadly obovate or subcircular, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, 1–2.5 mm. wide, emarginate, clawed, glabrous. Stamen-filaments 2–4.5 mm. long; anthers 0.4–0.6 mm. long. Disk with a pilose margin free for 0.7–0.8 mm. Style 3–4 mm. long. Fruit (fig. 5/20, p. 16) oval to subcircular in outline, up to 3.5 cm. long and wide, often much smaller, glabrous except for the scales; apical peg absent or very short; stipe up to 11 mm. long. Cotyledons with petioles 10–11 mm. long; germination epigeal. Scales (fig. 2/20, p. 13) irregularly undulate in outline, (50–)75–100 μ in diameter, marginal cells 8–12, mostly retusely scalloped.

Information

Small tree up to 8 (–12) m. high or more frequently (in E. Africa) a much branched coppicing shrub up to 5 m. high. Bark slightly fibrous, grey-brown to blackish; branchlets reddish brown to light grey, fibrous; young shoots tomentose to densely pubescent, later becoming glabrescent, or glabrous except for the ± contiguous rufous scales. Short horizontal spur shoots usually present. Leaves opposite or subopposite, usually borne along the length of the spur shoots but tending to cluster towards the apex; lamina coriaceous, narrowly elliptic to broadly obovate or subcircular (especially on sucker shoots), 3–6.5(–8) cm. long, l.5–4(–4.5) cm. wide, apex slightly refuse to rounded or acute, mucronate, base cuneate to rounded, from densely tomentose to glabrous (except for the scales); scales silvery or golden and due to their wavy margins may present a rather scurfy appearance, contiguous to scattered, sometimes appearing impressed in subsp. volkensii; lateral nerves 3–9 pairs, subprominent to prominent beneath, visible above; petiole up to 5 mm. long. Inflorescence of short, sometimes rather congested spikes up to 3 cm. long, axillary, occasionally branched, often appearing on leafless branches (especially on spur shoots) in the axils of scars of fallen leaves; peduncles ± 0.7 cm. long. Flowers (fig. 3/20, p. 14) pale yellow to yellow, fragrant. Lower receptacle 1.5 mm. long; upper receptacle campanulate to shortly infundibuliform, 2–3 mm. long and wide, lepidote and otherwise densely pubescent to nearly glabrous. Sepals deltate. Petals spathulate to very broadly obovate or subcircular, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, 1–2.5 mm. wide, emarginate, clawed, glabrous. Stamen-filaments 2–4.5 mm. long; anthers 0.4–0.6 mm. long. Disk with a pilose margin free for 0.7–0.8 mm. Style 3–4 mm. long. Fruit (fig. 5/20, p. 16) oval to subcircular in outline, up to 3.5 cm. long and wide, often much smaller, glabrous except for the scales; apical peg absent or very short; stipe up to 11 mm. long. Cotyledons with petioles 10–11 mm. long; germination epigeal. Scales (fig. 2/20, p. 13) irregularly undulate in outline, (50–)75–100 μ in diameter, marginal cells 8–12, mostly retusely scalloped.