Manihot Mill.

Euphorbiaceae, A. Radcliffe-Smith. Flora Zambesiaca 9:4. 1996

Morphology General Habit

Monoecious often glaucous and pruinose laticiferous trees or shrubs, rarely herbs.

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum, when present, simple.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, petiolate, stipulate, simple, sometimes peltate, entire or more usually deeply palmately 3–11-lobed or -partite; the lobes entire or lobulate, penninerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal, rarely axillary, racemose or paniculate, bisexual with 1–few female flowers and several male flowers; bracts sometimes foliaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flowers pedicellate; buds ovoid, ellipsoid or fusiform; calyx campanulate or tubular, 5-lobed, the lobes imbricate or contorted, often pigmented; petals absent; disk deeply lobed or consisting of separate glands; stamens 10, biverticillate, free, inserted between the lobes or glands of the disk; anthers dorsifixed, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode small, trifid, or absent. Female flowers long-pedicellate; tepals 5, free, imbricate, caducous; petals absent; disk entire or lobulate, pigmented; ovary 3-locular with 1 ovule per loculus; styles 3, short, connate at the base, often dilated or lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits subglobose, ± smooth or longitudinally 6-winged, dehiscing septicidally into 3 bivalved cocci; endocarp woody; columella persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds carunculate; testa crustaceous; albumen fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat.

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit

Usually glaucescent and ± pruinose monoecious laticiferous shrubs or trees, rarely herbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple, peltate or not, entire or more usually deeply 3–11-palmatilobed to -palmatipartite, the lobes entire or themselves lobulate, petiolate or rarely sessile; stipules small or large, sometimes leafy

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences racemose or paniculate, terminal or axillary in the uppermost leaf-axils, generally composed of 1 or more long-pedicellate basal ♀ flowers and several short-pedicellate ♂ flowers; bracts small or large, sometimes leafy, entire or laciniate

sex Male

Male flowers large; calyx campanulate or tubular, 5-lobed, often pigmented, with the lobes imbricate or contorted; petals 0; stamens 10, in 2 whorls, free, inserted between the lobes or glands of the disc; anthers dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally; pistillode, when present, small, trifid, in the middle of the disc

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers large; calyx as in the ♂ flowers; petals 0; disc hypogynous, entire or lobed; ovary trilocular, smooth or longitudinally winged; 1 ovule per locule; styles shortly connate at the base, variously dilated and lobed Male flowers large; calyx campanulate or tubular, 5-lobed, often pigmented, with the lobes imbricate or contorted; petals 0; stamens 10, in 2 whorls, free, inserted between the lobes or glands of the disc; anthers dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally; pistillode, when present, small, trifid, in the middle of the disc

sex Female

Female flowers large; calyx as in the ♂ flowers; petals 0; disc hypogynous, entire or lobed; ovary trilocular, smooth or longitudinally winged; 1 ovule per locule; styles shortly connate at the base, variously dilated and lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits septicidally dehiscent into 3 bivalved cocci, smooth or longitudinally winged

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds carunculate; testa crustaceous; albumen fleshy; cotyledons flat, broad.