Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (1976) Author: B. VERDCOURT
Names
PSYCHOTRIA crassipetala Petit [family RUBIACEAE], in B.J.B.B. 34: 191, photo. 6/F (1964) & in Distr. Pl. Afr. 6, map 168 (1973). Type: Kenya, Teita Hills, NNE. of Ngerenyi, Ngangao, Drummond & Hemsley 4336 (K, holo.!, BR, EA, iso.)
Grumilea riparia [family RUBIACEAE], [sensu K.T.S.: 445 (1961), pro parte, non K. Schum. & K. Krause]
Information
Shrub or tree 3.5–10 m. tall, with glabrous branches. Leaf-blades elliptic to broadly elliptic, 6–15 cm. long, 3–9 cm. wide, ± rounded to shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base, glabrous on both surfaces, thinly coriaceous, without nodules but with domatia; petiole 1–5 cm. long, glabrous; stipules ovate-triangular, 5 mm. long, shortly acuminate at the apex, glabrous, deciduous. Flowers probably heterostylous, 5-merous, in much-branched panicles, 3–7 cm. long; peduncle 1–3 cm. long, glabrous; secondary branches 0.5–3 cm. long, with tufts of ferruginous hairs at junctions; pedicels thick, 1–2 mm. or up to 1 cm. long in fruit, glabrous; bracts and bracteoles small. Calyx-tube subglobose, 1.5 mm. long; limb campanulate, 3–4 mm. long, glabrous, the margin irregularly lobed or almost truncate, the lobes 1 mm. long, minutely ciliate. Corolla white or cream, usually densely minutely papillate outside when dry but smooth in life; tube funnel-shaped, ± 4–5 mm. long, glabrous inside; lobes thick, 6 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, inflexed at the apex. Stamens with filaments 3–4 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 0.5–1 mm. long in long-styled flowers. Style 2 mm. long in short-styled flowers, 7.5–9 mm. long in long-styled flowers; stigma-lobes 1 mm. long. Drupes greenish blue, with 2 pyrenes, subglobose, 8 mm. in diameter, glabrous, crowned with the ± conspicuous calyx, not grooved; pyrenes semi-globose, 5–6.5 mm. long and wide, 2.8 mm. thick, the ventral surface plane, the dorsal surface entire. Seeds similar in size and shape, ventral surface plane, the dorsal surface not ribbed; albumen ruminate on both sides.
Distribution
KENYA Teita District Teita Hills, 8 km. NNE. of Ngerenyi, Ngangao, 10 Apr. 1971, Faden et al. 21/258! & Mbololo Hill, July 1937, Dale in F.D. 3814 in part!KENYA Lamu District Witu, Utwani Forest, Oct. 1937, Dale in F.D. 3831!