The flowering plants of Africa / An analytical key to the genera of African phanerograms

by Franz Thonner

FLOW. PL. AFR.

Pl. 66.

J. Fleischmann del.

Connarus Smeathmannii DC.

A End of branch with young fruits. B Flower. C Flower cut lengthwise. D Fruit. E Seed with aril.

Receptacle not swelling on one side; carpel central. Stamens numerous.
Fruit with an irregularly 5-angled stone. Flowers in panicles.—Species
3. Central Africa. They yield tanning and dyeing materials, oil, medicaments, and edible fruits (cocoa-plums). Chrysobalanus L.
29. Filaments united in a long strap. Anthers 10-20. Ovary completely
1-celled.—Species 17. Central Africa. Some species yield timber
(Griffonia Hook. fil.) Acioa Aubl.
Filaments free or united at the base only. 30
30. Receptacle prolonged above into a scale-like appendage. Stamens 6-7.
Ovary completely 1-celled. Stipules large.—Species 3. West Africa. Magnistipula Engl.
Receptacle without a scale-like appendage. Stipules small. 31
31. Ovary completely 1-celled. Fertile stamens 3-10. Fruit 1-seeded.—Species
3. East Africa and Madagascar. Hirtella L.
Ovary completely or incompletely 2-celled. Fertile stamens 10-20. Fruit usually 2-seeded.—Species 25. Tropical and South Africa. Some of them yield timber, tanners’ bark, medicaments, and edible fruits, from which also oil, glue, and an inebriating drink are prepared. (Parinari
Aubl.) (Plate 65). Parinarium Juss.

[FAMILY 104.] CONNARACEAE.

Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, pinnate, but sometimes with 3 leaflets only, exstipulate. Flowers in fascicles, racemes or panicles, regular, hermaphrodite or polygamous. Calyx 5-cleft or 5-parted. Petals 5, free, rarely slightly united, imbricate in the bud. Stamens 5-10, free or united at the base. Carpels 1-5, free, superior. Ovules 2 to each carpel, erect or ascending, straight. Ripe carpels dry, dehiscing by a longitudinal slit, rarely indehiscent, usually solitary. Seeds with an aril often adnate to the testa.—Genera 12, species 140. Tropical and South Africa. (Plate 66.)

1. Sepals imbricate in the bud. Seeds exalbuminous. [Tribe CONNAREAE.]. 2
Sepals valvate in the bud. Seeds albuminous. Stamens 10. Carpels 5.
[Tribe CNESTIDEAE.] 8
2. Ripe carpel indehiscent, nearly always 2-seeded. Seeds with a large, adnate aril. Calyx hardened in fruit. Petals greatly exceeding the sepals. Stamens 10, very unequal, surrounded by a disc. Carpel 1.
Flowers in clusters, springing from the old wood.—Species 3. Equatorial
West Africa (Gaboon). (Anthagathis Harms). Jollydora Pierre
Ripe carpel (or carpels) dehiscing lengthwise, usually 1-seeded. 3
3. Fruit-carpels narrowed at the base into a distinct stalk. Seeds attached to the ventral suture, with a free aril. Calyx not enlarged in fruit.—Species
18. Central Africa. Some are used medicinally. (Plate 66.) Connarus L.
Fruit-carpels not stalked. Seeds attached at their base. Carpels (at the
time of flowering) 3-5. 4
4. Calyx scarcely or not enlarged in fruit, small, usually flaccid. 5
Calyx conspicuously enlarged and hardened in fruit, leathery to woody.
Stamens 10. Carpels 5. 6
5. Leaves trifoliolate.—Species 25. Tropics. Some are used medicinally. Agelaea Sol.
Leaves pinnate, with several pairs of leaflets. Stamens 10. Carpels 5.
Styles 2-cleft at the apex. Calyx persistent.—Species 7. Tropics.
Some are poisonous. (Under Rourea Aubl.) Byrsocarpus Schum. & Thonn.
6. Calyx tightly clasping the fruit, herbaceous at the time of flowering. Styles short; stigmas capitate. Seeds with very convex cotyledons.—Species
40. Tropics. Some are poisonous or used in medicine. Rourea Aubl.
Calyx not clasping the fruit. Stamens very unequal. Styles long. 7
7. Stem twining. Inflorescence paniculate. Calyx leathery at the time of flowering. Seeds with flat cotyledons.—Species 2. Equatorial
West Africa. Paxia Gilg
Stem erect. Inflorescence racemose-fasciculate. Anther-halves distant from one another, the pollen-sacs placed crosswise.—Species 1. Equatorial
West Africa. (Jaundea Gilg). Yaundea Gilg
8. (1.) Ripe carpel indehiscent, not stalked, with a crusty pericarp. Seeds enveloped by a thin aril. Carpel 1. Stamens 5-7, alternating with as many glands. Calyx deeply divided, persistent, but not enlarged in fruit. Low trees. Leaves unifoliolate. Flowers in clusters.—Species 2.
West Africa. Hemandradenia Stapf
Ripe carpel (or carpels) dehiscing lengthwise. 9
9. Receptacle prolonged into a stalk-like androphore. Sepals red, free. Petals yellow, clawed, with 2 glands above the claw. Styles long. Erect shrubs.—Species 1. Northern West Africa (Liberia). Dinklagea Gilg
Receptacle not prolonged. Petals without glands. Mostly climbing shrubs. 10
10. Sepals united to the middle, ovate-triangular. Petals linear, four times as long as the calyx, rolled inwards at the tip. Stamens very unequal.
Styles long; stigmas lobed.—Species 6. West Africa. Spiropetalum Gilg
Sepals free or nearly so. Petals not more than twice as long as the calyx.
Styles short; stigmas capitate. 11
11. Fruit-carpels glabrous on the inside, short-haired on the outside, prolonged into a stalk at the base. Seeds without a distinct aril, but with
a fleshy testa. Embryo long and narrow. Petals longer than the calyx.—Species 10. West Africa. Manotes Sol.
Fruit-carpels covered with long stiff hairs on the inside and usually also on the outside. Seeds with a very small adnate aril at the base. Petals as long as or shorter or somewhat longer than the calyx. Stamens subequal.—Species 30. Tropical and South Africa. Some are used medicinally. Cnestis Juss.