Entry From
FZ, Vol 4, Part 0, page 7, (1978) Author: E. J. Mendes
Names
Banksia abyssinica Bruce [family ROSACEAE], Trav. 5 App.: 73 “Bankesia”, tab. 22 & 23 (1790). Type as above.
Hagenia abyssinica Bruce J. F. Gmel. [family ROSACEAE], Syst. Nat. ed. 13, 2: 598, 613 (1791).—Engl., Pflanzenw.Afr.l: 103, fig. 85 (1910); op. cit. 3, 1: 299 (1915).— Robyns &Tournay, Fl. Pare Nat. Alb. 1: 254, fig. 13 (1948).—Brenan, T.T.C.L.: 475 (1949).—Hauman in F.C.B. 3: 16 (1952).—Eggeling & Dale, Indig. Trees Uganda ed. 2: 332, photo 53 (1952).—Brenan in Mem. N.Y. Bot. Gard. 8: 432 (1954).—R. A. Grah. in F.T.E.A., Rosaceae: 43, fig. 5 (1960).—Dale & Greenway, Kenya Trees & Shrubs: 401, fig. 80 (1961).—F. White, F.F.N.R.: 68 (1962). TAB. 4. Type from Ethiopia.
Brayera anthelmintica Kunth ex Brayer [family ROSACEAE], Not. Nouv. Pl. Fam. Rosaceae, cum tab. (1822).—A. Rich. in Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris 1822: 156 (1822).—DC., Prodr. 2: 588 (1825)—Oliv., F.T.A. 2: 380 (1871). Type uncertain.
Hagenia abyssinica var. viridifolia Hauman [family ROSACEAE], in Bull. Jard. Bot. Brux. 22: 90 (1952); in F.C.B. 3: 17 (1952). Syntypes from Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya.
Information
Tree up to 18 m. high, with globose or umbrella-shaped open crown; bark ridged and flaky, red-brown to brown. Branchlets densely sericeous-villous with golden antrorse hairs 3–4 mm. long, ringed by the scars of the fallen sheathing leaf-bases; scars at first villous, later glabrescent. Leaves imparipinnate, up to 40 cm. long, viscid; leaflets 5–7(8) on each side, usually 12–15 x 3·5–5·5 cm., subopposite, sessile or almost so, narrowly oblong, acuminate at apex, obliquely rounded to subcordate at the base, ± glabrescent above, densely silvery sericeous-villous to glabrescent below; margins finely dentate; main leaflet pairs alternating with 1(3) reduced subcircular ones, the latter with up to 5 teeth or minute and entire; rhachis and petiole with soft patent hairs up to 4 mm. long; petiole up to 15 cm. long; stipules (3)6–9 cm. long, membranous, reddish at first but becoming brown, adnate to petiole throughout almost their whole length. Panicles many-flowered, much-branched, terminal, drooping, up to 60 cm. long; female panicles bulkier than the male ones; flowers subtended by 2(3) broadly rounded bracts. male flowers orange-buff to white, c. 8 mm. in diameter; calyx-tube obconical, c. 1·5 mm. long, densely hairy outside; epicalyx-lobes c. 1·5 x 0·5 mm., oblong; calyx-lobes 4–5 x 2·5–3 mm., oblong to obovate, recurved and with the abaxial surface concave, clearly veined; petals 1·5 mm. long, linear, fugacious (? or absent); stamens (8)10–15(20), anthers sparsely hairy; carpels vestigial, enclosed by the receptacle. female and hermaphrodite flowers red, viscid, up to 1·5 cm. in diameter; calyx-tube c. 1 mm. long, obconical, densely hairy outside; epicalyx-lobes c. 1 x 0·4 cm., unequal, oblong-elliptic to obovate with apex obtuse, clearly veined, accrescent in fruit; calyx-lobes c. 3 x 2 mm., broadly ovate-acute with the apex acute, clearly veined; petals not seen (? absent or fugacious); stamens 0, or if present then fewer and smaller than in male flowers; carpels (1)2, apically villous, with styles c. 1·5 mm. long; stigmas 0·75 mm. wide, hairy. Achenes enclosed within the calyx-tube with its accrescent epicalyx and persistent calyx-lobes; often only one of the achenes developing; pericarp thin, fragile, brown, reticulately rugose.
Distribution
Malawi N Nyika Plateau, female fl. 17.viii.1946, Brass 17298 (BM; K; SRGH); Nyika Plateau near L. Kaulime, male fl. 12.ix.1962, Tyrer 885 (BM).Zambia E Nyika Plateau, female fl. 27.xi.1965, Lees 96 (K), female fl. 25.xii.1958, Lawton 524 (FHO; K).