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Leptodermis wilsonii

Interesting Facts

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Description

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Family Rubiaceae

The Rubiaceae are trees , shrubs , or infrequently herbs comprising about 450 genera and 6,500 species, including some lianous forms. The leaves are simple and usually entire, and are opposite or sometimes whorled ; stipules are present and interpetiolar . The flowers are nearly always bisexual and actinomorphic , often heterostylous, and usually are in cymose inflorescences. The calyx is mostly somewhat reduced and 4-5-lobed or sometimes the lobes are obsolete or rarely one of them greatly expanded and brightly colored . The sympetalous corolla is mostly 4-5-lobed, occasionally with 3 or up to 10 lobes. The androecium consists of as many stamens as corolla lobes and is adnate to the corolla tube or epigynous zone, alternate with the lobes. The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of 2 or seldom more carpels, a single style, and a nearly always inferior ovary with the number of locules equaling the number of carpels, each with 1-many axile ovules. An epigynous nectary disk is usually present. The fruit is variable, sometimes forming multiples . -- Gerald Carr.

Physical Description

Species Leptodermis wilsonii

Shrubs , usually 0.5-1 m tall; branches slightly stout, with brown or grayish white bark and 2 longitudinal grooves , grooves pilose . Petiole 2-4 mm or slightly longer ; leaf blade papery , black or dark gray adaxially when dry, light brown abaxially, ovate or ovate-elliptic, sometimes lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 1-3.5(-3.9) × 0.5-1.8(-2) cm, glabrous on both surfaces except midrib and margins pilose adaxially, slightly smooth , base broadly cuneate, apex acute or obtuse ; lateral veins 3 or 4 pairs, inconspicuous adaxially, not or slightly prominent abaxially; stipules long triangular, ca. 2 mm, with stiff apiculus , margins usually glandular . Flowers subsessile , usually 3 flowers terminal on branches, occasionally axillary near tips of branches; bracteoles 2, subscarious, lanceolate or ovate-triangular, 2-2.5 mm, usually slightly shorter than sinus of calyx limb, glabrous or pilose, acuminate. Calyx black when dry; tube ca. 2.5 mm; lobes narrowly triangular, ca. 1.8 mm, shortly ciliate , acuminate, slightly spreading . Corolla white or pallid red, fragrant, funnelform , smooth outside, glabrous; tube 12-14 mm, villous inside; lobes spreading, suborbicular , 4-6 mm in diam., central portion relatively thick, margins broad and thin, erose, apex callose acute. Stamens 5, inserted in throat of corolla tube in short-styled flowers; filaments ca. 3 mm; anthers linear , ca. 4 mm, slightly exserted. Style dark brown or black when dry, linear, 7-8 mm, glabrous. Seed aril reticulate , adherent to testa. Fl. Jun, fr. Oct-Nov. [source]

Flowers: Bloom Period: June.

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 11-Nov-2003

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Leptodermis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 1 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

L. oblonga (Himalayan Leptodermis)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Last Revised: 7/19/2012