Harpagocarpus snowdenii Hutch. & Dandy

Polygonaceae, R. A. Graham. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1958

Habit

A perennial, rather weak, branched, climbing herb, nearly glabrous throughout.

Stem

Stems greenish-brown.

Ocrea

Ocreae brown, papery, obliquely truncate, 4–6 (–8) mm. long.

Leaves

Leaves sagittate, the lower ones broadly ovate-triangular, up to 9.3 × 5 cm., acutely acuminate, the upper more lanceolate, sometimes narrowly so, up to 15 × 3.3 cm.; glabrous above, paler green and shortly and sparsely setose on the midrib and veins below.

Petiole

Petioles slender, variable in length, sometimes considerably exceeding the lamina.

Inflorescences

Inflorescence slender, branched, racemose, axillary and terminal; the flowers borne singly or in pairs, erect-spreading at first, later pendant.

Bracts

Bracts 1.5–2 mm. long, membranous, truncate, 0.5–2 cm. apart.

Pedicel

Pedicels filiform, 2–3 mm. long.

Tepal

Tepals 5, yellowish, unequal, connate towards the base, 2.5–3.5 × 2–2.5 mm., obovate, terminally rounded, later ± appressed to the fruit.

Stamens

Anthers orange, ± rounded; filaments filiform, 1 mm. long.

Ovary

Ovary ovoid-ellipsoid, trigonous.

Fruits

Ripe fruit 6–8 × 4 mm., light orange-brown, shining, with two rows of purple setae up to 2 mm. long down the angles, each seta terminating in 2–4 reflexed, stellate barbs of unequal length, not exceeding 0.4 mm. long.

Figures

Fig. 1/4–6, p. 2.

Habitat

Among undergrowth and shrubs in or at the edge of upland rain-forest; 1350–2400 m.

Distribution

K4 T6 U2 U3