Trees or shrubs with branching similar to that of many Rothmannia species and characteristic evergreen foliage. Leaves opposite, petiolate, thinly coriaceous; domatia absent or present and pubescent; stipules triangular, acute or acuminate, soon falling. Inflorescences 1–severa, on very short terminal branchlets subtended by a single leaf; bracts small. Calyx tube ovoid to cylindric; limb-tube shortly cylindric with 5 triangular to lanceolate teeth. Corolla pubescent to densely appressed silky outside, salver-shaped with narrow cylindric tube but in some species (formerly referred to Dorothea) the corolla tube is split unilaterally giving the corolla an irregular appearance; corolla lobes 5, contorted to the left, ovate to lanceolate. Ovary 2-locular; each locule with a pendulous placenta carrying 2–10 embedded ovules. Fruit berry-like, sub-globose, crowned by the persistent calyx limb. Seeds sub-globose with abundant endosperm, devoid of a testa.
Worldwide: Species 8 in tropical Africa. Zambia: 2 taxa. |
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