Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (2002) Author: SILESHI NEMOMISSA
Names
SWERTIA usambarensis Engl. [family GENTIANACEAE], P.O.A. C: 314 (1895); Baker & N.E. Br. in F.T.A. 4 (1): 580 (1904); T.C.E. Fr. in N.B.G.B. 8: 573 (1923); Boutique in F.A.C., Gentianaceae: 9, fig. 1/d (1972); U.K.W.F.: 505 (1974); Blundell, Wild Fl. E. Afr.: 181, t. 96 (1987); Paiva & I. Nogueira in F.Z. 7 (4): 30 (1990); U.K.W.F. ed. 2: 233 (1994); Sileshi in K.B. 53: 427 (1998). Type: Tanzania, Lushoto District, Usambara, Mlalo, Holst 622 (B, holo., K!, iso.)
Information
Annual herb without basal leaf rosette. Stems erect, 25–50 cm long, unbranched or branched, stem angles smooth. Leaves sessile or shortly petiolate, blade oblong-lanceolate, linear-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 25–40 mm long, 5–15 mm wide, obtuse or subacute, narrowed at the base. Inflorescences corymb-like, partial inflorescences many, each 5–6(–7)-flowered; pedicels 7–32 mm long, pedicel of the terminal flower always shorter than pedicels of lateral flowers; bracteoles oblong-lanceolate, linear-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.6 mm long, 0.4–0.6 mm wide, obtuse or subacute. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx lobes: 3 longer and wider than others, oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 6–9 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, acute. Corolla white, sometimes with purplish-brown median dorsal stripes outside; tube very short, 0.4–1.1 mm long; lobes oblong-elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 6–12.5 mm long, 4–7 mm wide, obtuse or acute; nectaries 2 per lobe, yellow, circular, 0.4–1.2 mm diameter, 0.2–0.6 mm apart, 1.8–2.3 mm from base of lobes, margin fimbriate, fimbriae 1.1–2.8 mm long. Stamens with filaments 4–7 mm long, scale-like projections present at their point of attachment to the corolla lobes; anthers oblong, 1–2.1 mm long. Ovary oblong, 4.5–7.5 mm long, 1–3 mm diameter; style obsolete; stigma bilobed, lobes 0.5–0.9 mm long, 1–1.6 mm wide, obtuse, forming a crescent-shaped rim on the capsule valves; parietal placentae conspicuous. Capsule oblong, 8–11 mm long, 4–5 mm diameter. Seeds light brown, 0.4–0.5 mm in diameter, surface with wavy ridges.