| Synonyms: |
Euphorbia pseudoracemosa var. lorifolia (P.R.O. Bally) Bruyns |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | Rare |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Glabrous perennial herb, with a cylindrical tuberous root to 10 × 1.5 cm producing a woody subterranean stem to 6 cm. long and annual stems to 7 cm. high; leaves subsessile, linear-oblanceolate to 11 × 2 cm, apex rounded, margins minutely crisped, midrib ± keeled beneath, lamina often tinged red on the undersurface; cymes on peduncles to 2.5 cm. long, 1-forked with cyme-branches to 1.5 cm. long, or cyathia solitary, peduncles and cyme-branches with longitudinal winged ridges; bract-cup ± equal to the involucre, ± 6 × 10 mm., notched to ± halfway between acute apices and keeled midribs, green with darker veining; cyathia ± 5 × 4 mm., with cup-shaped involucres; glandular rim ± 2 mm. high, entire, pink, lobes rounded, ± 1.3 × 1.3 mm; male flowers:bracteoles few, filamentous; stamens 4 mm, long; female flower:perianth an obvious ± lobed rim ± 0.5 mm. wide; styles 2 mm. long, joined to halfway with thickened rugulose distinctly bifid apices; capsule exserted on a pedicel to 6 mm long, obtusely 3-lobed, ± 5 × 6 mm, with a fleshy ridge along each angle; seeds subglobose, 2.8 × 2.5 mm, black with shallow yellowish tubercles; caruncle sessile, 1 mm in diameter. Var. pseudoracemosum from Tanzania along the south eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika differs in having obovate leaves up to 7.5 x 6 cm with margins entire. |
| Type location: |
Zambia, Mpulungu |
| Notes: | This taxon was described from only the type collection on Kumbula Island across from Mpulungu Harbour; habitat degradation of the escarpment woodland canopy posses a high risk to the understorey flora as population pressure increases in the Mpulungu area. |
| Derivation of specific name: | pseudoracemosum: with a false raceme, in reference to the inflorescence. lorifolium: with strap-shaped leaves |
| Habitat: | Lakeshore, on steep slopes in dry rocky soil |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 770 m (approx) |
| Flowering time: | Apr - Aug |
| Worldwide distribution: | |
| FZ divisions: | N |
| Zambian distribution (Provinces): | N |
| Growth form(s): | Perennial. |
| Endemic status: | Endemic |
| Red data list status: | Vulnerable |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Tuesday 20 December 2022 |
| Literature: |
Carter, S. & Leach, L.C. (2001). Euphorbiaceae: subfamily Euphorbioideae: tribe Euphorbieae Flora Zambesiaca 9(5) Page 443. |