Uncarina leptocarpa
| Uncarina leptocarpa | ||||||||||||
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Uncarina leptocarpa |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Uncarina leptocarpa | ||||||||||||
| ( Decne. ) Ihlenf. & Straka |
Uncarina leptocarpa is a species of the genus Uncarina in the sesame family (Pedaliaceae).
description
Uncarina leptocarpa grows as a small tree with overhanging branches and a densely branched crown. It becomes about 2.5 meters high and has a very large, irregular and underground tuber. The pentagonal leaf blade is up to 13 inches long and up to 14 inches wide. Small, pointed lobes and usually two indistinct basal lobes are formed. The leaf margin is entire. On the top of the leaf there are only a few, individual mucous glands with a square head. The mucous glands are in large numbers on the veins on the underside of the leaf.
The inflorescence consists of cymes with 1 to 3 individual flowers that do not form large clusters. The white flowers have a light yellow throat. The flower tube is 6 to 7 inches long.
The side of the fruit, which is strongly compressed, is egg-shaped when viewed from the side and has a long, narrow, elongated beak . Two different spine shapes are formed on the 5 centimeter long and 3 centimeter wide fruits. The hook spines, up to 15 millimeters long, are about five in a row, and they do not go beyond the beak. The greatly broadened bases of the spines form a crest up to 5 millimeters high. The numerous simple spines are up to 3 millimeters long and often underdeveloped. No false partitions are formed. The obovate-triangular seeds are 8 millimeters long and 8 millimeters wide. The seed, which has wide wings, is 1.5 millimeters in size.
Distribution and systematics
Uncarina leptocarpa is endemic to central and western Madagascar , in the south of the Mahajanga province and in the north of the Toliara province on limestone soils and between limestone cliffs.
The first description of the species as Harpagophytum leptocarpum Decne. , made in 1865 by Joseph Decaisne . Hans-Dieter Ihlenfeldt and Herbert Straka put the species in the genus Uncarina in 1962 .
literature
- H.-D. Ihlenfeldt: Uncarina . In: Urs Eggli (Hrsg.): Succulent lexicon. Volume 2: Dicotyledons (Dicotyledons) , Ulmer, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3915-4 , p. 383
