Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, Author: MARTIN CHEEK AND LAURENCE DORR
Names
Melhania substricta Dorr [family STERCULIACEAE], sp. nov. M. muricata Balf.f. affinis sed indumento minus adpresso, stipulis pedicellisque longioribus, segmentis epicalycis parvioribus cum sinibus laeve profundioribus, et sepalis brevioribus notabilis. Typus: Ethiopia, Ogaden, Kebre Dahar, J. de Wilde 5986 (K!, holo., WAG, iso.)
“Melhania sp. = Gilbert et al. 7589” [family ], [in Vollesen in Fl. Eth. 2(2): 175 (1995)]
Melhania muricata [family STERCULIACEAE], [sensu Thulin, Fl. Som. 2: 29 (1999), pro parte ]
Information
Suffrutescent subshrub, to 50 cm tall; erect, the branches ascending; young stems pale brown tomentose, the hairs mixed, sessile-stellate or tufted stellate, orsomewhatbrownish-centered peltate-stellate hairs, glabrous in age. Leaves narrowly elliptic (FTEA area) to ovate, 0.9–3.6 cm long, 0.8–2.6 cm wide, apex rounded to emarginate, sometimes mucronate, margin shallowly serrulate to crenulate especially toward the apex, base rounded; somewhat discolorous, greenish tomentose above, becoming sparsely so, the hairs tufted stellate, paler below and more densely whitish tomentose (less so with age); palmately 3–5-nerved from the base; petiole 0.5–1 cm long, pale brown tomentose; stipules filiform, 1–5 mm long, reddish brown, sparsely pubescent, persistent. Flowers solitary, rarely 2–flowered cymes; pedicel 8–20 mm long, pubescent with stellate hairs; epicalyx bracts cordate, 8–13 mm long, 8–12 mm wide (in flower), tomentose to pubescent with whitish stellate hairs, accrescent, 16–26 mm long, 13–25 mm wide (in fruit), apex rounded or acute, base cordate, sinus 1/4 to 1/3 the height of the bract (in fruit), basal lobes of sinus sometimes overlapping, becoming ± chartaceous to membranous, sparsely pubescent in fruit. Floral buds concealed by the epicalyx bracts. Sepals lanceolate, 3.5–4.5 mm long, ± 1.5 mm wide, acute, pubescent without, glabrous within, chartaceous. Petals obovate, asymmetrical, 4.5–5 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, yellow, glabrous. Staminal tube 0.5–1 mm long, free portion of filaments 1–1.5 mm long, anthers 1–1.5 mm long, free portion of staminodes 2.5–3 mm long, glabrous. Ovary ovoid to pyriform, 1.5–2 mm long, 1.5–2 mm in diameter, velutinous; 3 ovules per locule; style 0.5–1 mm long, glabrous; stigma lobes ± 1.5 mm long, reflexed. Capsules spheroid to widely or narrowly ovoid, 4–8 mm long, 5–6 mm in diameter, ± 5-lobed, velutinous, 3 seeds per locule; seed trigonal, at least one side flattened, 1.5–2 mm long, ± 1.5–2 mm wide, testa tuberculate, without an elaiosome. Fig. 14/4–6, p. 85
Notes
CONSERVATION This species is here rated as VU B2a, b(iii), that is vulnerable to extinction being known from 10 sites or less (eight are known), with an area of occupancy of less than 20,000 km2 and with reduction of habitat quality in at least part of its range (see regardingK1 under Hermannia pseudathiensis). M. substricta is close to, but clearly distinct from, M. muricata Balf.f. from Arabia, Socotra, and Somalia. The latter species has a more appressed indumentum, shorter stipules (to 2 mm) and pedicels (to 7 mm), bracteoles up to 20 ≈ 30 mm with a relatively shallower sinus (less than 5 mm deep), longer sepals, and 2–3-seeded locules. M. substricta also is similar to M. stipulosa J.R.I.Wood, which is known from the Horn of Africa and Arabia. The two differ with respect to pubescence (± sessile stellate hairs with ascending arms versus stellate hairs with appressed arms, dark center and short stalks) (in this respect M. stipulosa is closer to M. muricata); in the larger sinus of the epicalyx bracts with overlapping basal lobes (versus non-overlapping basal lobes); leaf shape (narrowly elliptic to ovate versus narrowly oblong); and short caducous (versus long persistent) stipules.