Cordia trichocladophylla Verdc.

Boraginaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

Shrub 1–2 m. tall; stems with pale lenticellate corky bark, obscurely striate and minutely transversely wrinkled in places, covered with short persistent nodular petiole-bases subtending short lateral leafy and flowering shoots or inflorescences with leaves still in very juvenile state; young shoots and inflorescence-axes completely covered with very closely adpressed buff hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades oblong-elliptic, probably none fully developed in specimen seen, 2–5.5 cm. long, 1–2.5 cm. wide, acute to acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base, at length very discolorous when dry, at first densely covered above with adpressed buff hairs but later with only a scattering and eventually probably glabrous, similarly but persistently hairy beneath and also with raised reticulate venation; petioles 0.5–2 cm. long, similarly buff-hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes ± 20-flowered, ± 5 cm. long; peduncles and secondary axes 0.5–2 cm. long; pedicels 0–1.5 mm. long; buds narrowly conic.

sex Male

Male flowers:calyx-tube narrowly obconical, 5.5 mm. long; lobes triangular, 1.5 mm. long. Corolla-tube 5.5 mm. long; lobes elliptic, 6 mm. long, 3.2 mm. wide; filaments 4 mm. long; rudimentary ovary 0.6 mm. long; style absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers:calyx adpressed buff hairy; tube obconical, slightly constricted about 1/3 from the base in dry state, feebly striate above, ± 6 mm. long, 3.5 mm. wide at apex; lobes triangular-ovate, 1–1.5 mm. long:corolla yellowish; tube 6–7 mm. long; lobes ovate-oblong, 4–5 mm. long, 3–3.5 mm. wide; filaments 0.2 mm. long; sterile anthers 1.1 mm. long; ovary 1.5 mm. long; style 4.5 mm. long with branches 2.5 mm. long and stigmas 8 mm. long. Male flowers:calyx-tube narrowly obconical, 5.5 mm. long; lobes triangular, 1.5 mm. long. Corolla-tube 5.5 mm. long; lobes elliptic, 6 mm. long, 3.2 mm. wide; filaments 4 mm. long; rudimentary ovary 0.6 mm. long; style absent.

sex Female

Female flowers:calyx adpressed buff hairy; tube obconical, slightly constricted about 1/3 from the base in dry state, feebly striate above, ± 6 mm. long, 3.5 mm. wide at apex; lobes triangular-ovate, 1–1.5 mm. long:corolla yellowish; tube 6–7 mm. long; lobes ovate-oblong, 4–5 mm. long, 3–3.5 mm. wide; filaments 0.2 mm. long; sterile anthers 1.1 mm. long; ovary 1.5 mm. long; style 4.5 mm. long with branches 2.5 mm. long and stigmas 8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits not known.

Habitat

Light woodland; 60 m.

Distribution

not known elsewhere T8