Maesa lanceolata Forssk.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Tree or shrub; bark rough or smooth, at first red-brown, later grey; branchlets with brownish hairs or glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with 1.5–4 cm long petiole; blade narrowly elliptic to ovate or obovate, 10–22 x 3–11 cm, obtuse to acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, subentire to coarsely and irregularly toothed in upper part

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowers in much-branched many-flowered panicles shorter than the subtending leaf; pedicels up to 1 mm long, glabrous or brownish-pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-lobes c. 1 mm long, with or without darker markings, margins minutely ciliate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white or cream, with or without darker markings, c. 4.5–5 mm across; lobes spreading, rounded, finely toothed,±as long as the tube, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers about as long as wide, on short filaments

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary subinferior; style up to 1 mm long; stigma obscurely to distinctly lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a globose berry, 3–5.5 mm in diam., sweet, yellowish-brown or red when ripe

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 2–3 mm long.

Distribution

N2 widespread in tropical Africa and Madagascar; Arabian Peninsula

Ecology

Altitude range c. 1200–1300 m.

Vernacular

Balwes, qul cis (Somali).

Myrsinaceae, P. Halliday. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1984

Morphology General Habit

Tree or shrub 1.2-24 m. tall; bark rough or smooth, at first red-brown, later grey with prominent lenticels, exuding orange-red resin when slashed; branches densely to sparsely covered with ferruginous hairs or glabrous; young growth with a fugitive scurfy indumentum.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades very variable in size and shape, narrowly elliptic, oblong, lanceolate, ovate, oblanceolate or obovate, 6-22.3 cm. long, 2.1-11.2 cm. wide, obtuse to shortly acuminate or mucronate, cuneate or rounded at the base, subentire or minutely to coarsely and irregularly toothed in upper part, smooth, chartaceous, membranous, occasionally coriaceous, ferruginous-pubescent on nerves above and/or beneath, or sparsely ferruginous-pubescent over lower surface or glabrous, with or without visible gland-dots or streaks; main nerves distinct, midrib often pink, reticulation obscure; petiole±1/6 the length of the leaf-blade, 1.4-4 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a much-branched, lax or condensed many-flowered axillary panicle, up to 3/4 the length of the subtending leaf, glabrous to densely ferruginous-pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flower hermaphrodite or functionally female, (4-)5-partite; pedicels up to 1 mm. long, glabrous or ferruginous-pubescent, with 2 bracteoles, paired or not, with ciliate margins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx campanulate; lobes triangular, ovate to broadly ovate,±1 mm. long, with or without darker markings, margins minutely ciliate, occasionally whole surface puberulent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white or cream, with or without darker markings, 1.75-3 mm. long,±5 mm. across lobes; lobes spreading, rounded, obtuse,±as long as the tube, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens orange, exserted; filaments short, as long as the anthers or less (sometimes aborted but then the flower abnormal); anthers sagittate, not much longer than broad, emarginate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary adnate to the calyx, glabrous; placenta stalked, globose to ovoid, shortly apiculate; ovules few-many, embedded in the placenta, multiseriate; style exserted, short, stout, cylindrical, up to 1 mm. long; stigma convex, obscurely to distinctly lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a globose berry, 3-5.5 mm. in diameter, very sweet, irregularly ribbed (in herbarium material), forming pendent clusters, yellowish-brown or red when ripe, with persistent calyx and style, glabrous, many-seeded but few reaching maturity.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed small, 2-3.25 mm. long; surface tessellated with many irregularly-shaped pits.

Figures

Fig. 1/9-13.

Habitat

Secondary and riverine forest, thickets, forest edges, bushland and rarely on wooded termite mounds; 360-2550 m.

Distribution

throughout tropical Africa, extending to Arabia, South Africa (Transvaal, Natal) and Madagascar K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7

Myrsinaceae, F. K. Kupicha. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit

An evergreen shrub or small, much–branched tree 2–10 m. high.

Morphology General Bark

Bark rough, grey or reddish–brown, the twigs often with rather prominent lenticels.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 6–17 cm. long, varying from lanceolate (length 3 times breadth) to broadly elliptic (length twice breadth or less); apex acute to acuminate, base cuneate; petiole 1·5–3 cm. long; margin very shallowly to distinctly serrate, sometimes (in some narrow–leaved specimens) slightly revolute; lamina glabrous or pubescent with coarse, stiff hairs especially on nerves; midrib and lateral nerves conspicuous or inconspicuous when dry.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers pale yellow or whitish, scented, hermaphrodite, pentamerous, borne in axillary panicles usually shorter than leaves; panicle branches usually rufous–pubescent; pedicels 1–2 mm. long, subtended by a subulate bract c. 0·6 mm. long; bracteoles 2, c. 1 mm. long, ovate, opposite, inserted at base of flower.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1–1·6 mm. long, the lobes 0·8–1·2 mm. long, triangular to ovate, glabrous or ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 1·5–1·8 mm. long, campanulate, the lobes ± equalling tube, orbicular, imbricate, undulate–margined, with glandular dots or lines.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens inserted in the corolla tube; anthers 0·4–0·7 mm. long, broadly oblong; filaments very short.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary semi–inferior, shallowly conical at apex, with fleshy style c. 0·6 mm. long; stigma truncate, somewhat lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 3–4 mm. in diameter, globose, crowned with the persistent calyx lobes, greenish to pale pink.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, blackish, angular, granular, embedded in the placenta.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/146188146/146214663

Conservation

LC - least concern