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This species is accepted, and its native range is Nigeria, SW. Ethiopia to Mozambique.

[FZ]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Scandent to 6 m.; stems becoming woody when old, arising from convex greenish semi-subterranean tuberous rootstock up to 50 cm. or more across.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-lamina 3–10 × 4·5–12·5 cm., broadly to very broadly ovate in outline, cordate, subsucculent, almost glabrous, palmately 5–7-lobed or less often unlobed; lobes triangular or ovate-triangular, obtuse to acute, shortly acuminate, apiculate, the central largest.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petiole 1·5–8 cm. long, sparsely shortly crispate-pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
male flowers 5–50 in lax paniculoid axillary fascicles; peduncles and pedicels 2–20 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 0·5 mm. long; lobes 2–4 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate or triangular, acute. Petals brownish yellow, sometimes tinged orange or pinkish, unequal, the two larger 10–18 mm. long, oblong, erect, the three smaller 9–16 mm. long, linear, much narrower, reflexed, paler; anther-connective produced apically into a small appendage. Female flowers in fascicles of 2–3 or rarely solitary; peduncles 1·5–3 cm. long; pedicels 1–8 mm. long; ovary 7–10 × 2–3 mm., glabrous; petals unequal, 3 broader, erect, 8–10 mm long, 2 reflexed or spreading, narrower, 7–8 mm. long.
sex Male
male flowers 5–50 in lax paniculoid axillary fascicles; peduncles and pedicels 2–20 mm. long. Receptacle-tube 0·5 mm. long; lobes 2–4 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate or triangular, acute. Petals brownish yellow, sometimes tinged orange or pinkish, unequal, the two larger 10–18 mm. long, oblong, erect, the three smaller 9–16 mm. long, linear, much narrower, reflexed, paler; anther-connective produced apically into a small appendage.
sex Female
Female flowers in fascicles of 2–3 or rarely solitary; peduncles 1·5–3 cm. long; pedicels 1–8 mm. long; ovary 7–10 × 2–3 mm., glabrous; petals unequal, 3 broader, erect, 8–10 mm long, 2 reflexed or spreading, narrower, 7–8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 4·5–6·3 × 1·8–2·8 cm., cylindric-obconic, smooth, glabrous, obscurely veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 25–44 mm. long, with fusiform little-compressed body and broad wing; body 12–22 × 1·8–3·5 mm., wing 14–22 × 6–9 mm.

[FTEA]

Cucurbitaceae, C. Jeffrey. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1967

Morphology General Habit
Perennial climber to 6 m.; stems subsucculent, becoming rather woody with smooth greyish bark, expanded at the base into a greenish dome-like semi-subterranean tuber up to 50 cm. or more across.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blade broadly ovate- or reniform-cordate in outline, slightly fleshy, somewhat glaucous, practically glabrous, 31–100 mm. long, 44–124 mm. broad, ± deeply 5-lobed, less often unlobed; lobes triangular, ± shortly acuminate, apiculate; petiole very sparsely short-hairy or glabrous, 15–80 mm. long.
sex Male
Male flowers 4–45 or more in 20–100 mm. long panicles; peduncles 2–15 mm. long; pedicels 2–20 mm. long; receptacle-tube shallow; lobes ovate-lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long; petals brownish-green or dull brownish-orange, unequal, 2 large, oblanceolate, erect, 10–18 mm. long, 2.5–5.5 mm. broad, 3 small, linear, reflexed, rather paler, 9–16 mm. long, 1–2 mm. broad; stamens 4, connate by the anthers into two pairs; connective apically produced; fifth (unpaired) stamen represented by a subulate staminode.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flowers sometimes solitary, more usually 2–3 in panicles on 15–30 mm. long peduncles; pedicels 1–8 mm. long; ovary trigonous, 7–10 mm. long, 2–3 mm. across; receptacle-lobes ovate-lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm. long; petals unequal, 3 broad, erect, 8–10 mm. long, 2–2.5 mm. broad, 2 spreading or reflexed, 7–8 mm. long, 1 mm. broad. Male flowers 4–45 or more in 20–100 mm. long panicles; peduncles 2–15 mm. long; pedicels 2–20 mm. long; receptacle-tube shallow; lobes ovate-lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long; petals brownish-green or dull brownish-orange, unequal, 2 large, oblanceolate, erect, 10–18 mm. long, 2.5–5.5 mm. broad, 3 small, linear, reflexed, rather paler, 9–16 mm. long, 1–2 mm. broad; stamens 4, connate by the anthers into two pairs; connective apically produced; fifth (unpaired) stamen represented by a subulate staminode.
sex Female
Female flowers sometimes solitary, more usually 2–3 in panicles on 15–30 mm. long peduncles; pedicels 1–8 mm. long; ovary trigonous, 7–10 mm. long, 2–3 mm. across; receptacle-lobes ovate-lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm. long; petals unequal, 3 broad, erect, 8–10 mm. long, 2–2.5 mm. broad, 2 spreading or reflexed, 7–8 mm. long, 1 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits 1–3, with the faces very obscurely 2-veined and not reticulate, rarely distinctly so but then the nerves ± parallel, 45–63 mm. long, 18–28 mm. across the faces; peduncle 14–62 mm. long; pedicels 1–15 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds fusiform, with a broad somewhat asymmetrically inserted wing, 25–44 mm. long, with the body of the seed 12–22 mm. long, 1.8–3.5 mm. across and the wing 14–22 mm. long, 6–9 mm. broad.
Figures
Fig. 25, p. 146.
Habitat
Deciduous bushland, woodland and wooded grassland; 0–2000 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T2 T3 T6 U1

Native to:

Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaïre

Gerrardanthus lobatus (Cogn.) C.Jeffrey appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Jun 1, 1965 Scheffler, G. [473] K000242617 isotype
Milne-Redhead, E. [7243], Tanzania 810.000
Milne-Redhead, E. [7258], Tanzania 811.000
Verdcourt, B. [254], Tanzania 4987.000
Gillett, J.B. [12936], Kenya 3257.000
Gillett, J.B. [14136], Kenya 809.000
Bally, P.R.O. [8401], Kenya 6593.000
Polhill, R. [1062A], Tanzania 3259.000
Polhill, R. [939], Kenya 812.000
Someren, U. [227], Kenya 3258.000
Napper, D.M. [2078], Kenya 900.056

First published in Kew Bull. 15: 353 (1962)

Accepted by

  • Lejoy, J., Ndjele, M.-B. & Geerinck, D. (2010). Catalogue-flore des plantes vasculaires des districts de Kisangani et de la Tshopo (RD Congo) Taxonomania 30: 1-307.
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS G: 1-40325.
  • Edwards, S., Tadesse, M. & Hedberg, I. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 2(2): 1-456. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Launert, E. (ed.) (1978). Flora Zambesiaca 4: 1-658. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Keraudren-Aymonin, M. (1975). Flore d'Afrique Centrale (Zaire-rwanda-Burundi), Cucurbitaceae: 1-152. Jardin Botanique National de Belgique.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Edwards, S., Tadesse, M. & Hedberg, I. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 2(2): 1-456. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • C. Jeffrey in Kew Bulletin 15: 353 (1962).

Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0