Pavetta trichardtensis (Rubiaceae) and its varieties
Author
Hahn, Norbert
text
Phytotaxa
2022
2022-02-15
533
4
216
222
journal article
20644
10.11646/phytotaxa.533.4.4
05ac27c1-06bd-4f6d-be45-2f13a9f247e9
1179-3163
6091594
Pavetta trichardtensis
Bremekamp (1929: 202)
.
Type
:—
SOUTH AFRICA
.
Limpopo
:
Louis Trichardt
,
February 1919
,
H
.
G
.
Breijer
TRV
19528
(
lectotype
PRE
! [barcode
PRE0149529
-0] designated by
Bremekamp (1934: 163))
.
Multi-stemmed shrub
or small tree, up to
2.5 m
tall.
Bark
smooth, grey.
Leaves
opposite; petioles (0.2–)0.4–1(–1.5) cm long; blades elliptic or oblong, (1.8–)3.9–7.6(–8.9) × (0.9)1.8–3.4(5.3) cm, apex obtuse to acute, occasionally shortly apiculate, base acute to cuneate; secondary veins 4–8 on each side of midrib; bacterial nodules randomly scattered on the leaf lamina; domatia hairy, situated in the axils of secondary veins. Inflorescence of terminal cymes born on slender lateral branches; pedicel up to
6 mm
long.
Flowers
4-merous.
Hypanthium
1.2–2.4 mm
long.
Calyx
lobes ensiform, (2.2) 2.9–5.4 (8.4) mm long. Corolla white; tube (6.3–)9.4–13.5(–15.4) mm long; lobes (4.0–)5.2–7.4(–8.7) mm long, apex obtuse to acute.
Stamens
exerted; anthers 3.5–7.0 mm long.
Style
up to
35 mm
long.
Berry
spherical, up to
9 mm
in diam., fleshy, black; crowned by the persistent calyx lobes.
Phenology
:—Flowering from November to January. Fruit ripen from February to May.
Habitat
:—This
variety has
been observed growing in mountain vegetation, on forest margins, woodland, rocky outcrops and grassland.
Pavetta trichardtensis
grows in sandy or loamy soil, at elevations of
780–1700 m
.
Etymology
:—Named after the town of Louis Trichardt situated on the southern foot of the Soutpansberg,
South Africa
.
Key to varieties
1. Leaf blades pubescent, matte and light green above, with flat bacterial nodules flat; calyx pubescent .................
var.
trichardtensis
- Leaf blades glabrous, shiny and dark green above, with sunken bacterial nodules; calyx glabrous..............................
var.
jabulanii