Scepocarpus trinervis (Hochst.) T.Wells & A.K.Monro

Urticaceae, I. Friis University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Robust climber to 10 m. or more.

Morphology Stem

Stems softly woody, up to 10 cm. in diameter at base; bark grey to brownish black, longitudinally striate, glabrous, rarely pubescent, with large leaf scars on young branches but very rarely with protuberances; sap copious, clear; pith wide, spongy, or stems hollow in centre.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves:stipules brown, fused almost to the apex, 6–10 mm. long, pubescent on the midnerves to subsericeous outside, glabrous inside; petioles 2.5–6 cm. long, glabrous to pubescent, rarely with a few stinging hairs, which are sessile or raised on protuberances up to 0.5 mm. high; lamina coriaceous, elliptic to ovate, rarely obovate, (4–)6–12 cm. long, 3.5–8 cm. wide, base cuneate, truncate or rounded, rarely subcordate, margin entire, apex acuminate to caudate; lateral nerves 2–3(–4) pairs, the basal pair extending into upper 1/3 of lamina, all interconnected by scalariform tertiary nerves; upper surface glabrous, rarely with a few scattered stiff hairs, numerous elongated cystoliths present, lower surface glabrous, occasionally pubescent or with scattered, stiff and perhaps stinging hairs, especially on the lateral nerves, rarely with stinging hairs raised on protuberances up to 0.8 mm. high.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Male inflorescence lax, paniculate, ±6.5 cm. long, with flowers densely clustered at intervals along the axes; peduncle mostly with a few stinging hairs; ♀ inflorescence lax, paniculate, ± 2 cm. long, with small cymose clusters of flowers, peduncle with stinging hairs, especially around the clusters of flowers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flowers on pedicels up to 1 mm. long, 4-merous, glabrous, perianth 1–1.75 mm. in diameter. Female flowers sessile; perianth cylindrical, constricted at apex, with 4 blunt but clearly marked teeth, glabrous, 1–1.5 mm. long.

sex Male

Male flowers on pedicels up to 1 mm. long, 4-merous, glabrous, perianth 1–1.75 mm. in diameter.

sex Female

Female flowers sessile; perianth cylindrical, constricted at apex, with 4 blunt but clearly marked teeth, glabrous, 1–1.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achene glabrous, 1.5–2 mm. long, without markings, enclosed in the persistent, accrescent, fleshy, orange perianth.

Figures

Fig. 2/H–K, p. 8.

Habitat

Lowland rain-forest, riverine forest or swamp forest, especially along margins and in clearings, sometimes sprawling over rocks or among boulders; 200–1600 m.

Distribution

widely distributed in tropical Africa from Ghana through Central Africa to SW. Ethiopia, through East Africa to Angola and South Africa (Natal, where restricted to near coast) as far south as Port St. Johnsapparently absent from Malawi and Mozambique K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T6 U2 U4