Kohautia cynanchica DC.

Rubiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 5:1. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial occasionally suffrutescent erect to suberect herbs or rarely small dwarf shrubs (6)10–60(100) cm. tall, with woody base to 5(10) mm. in diam.; stems ± quadrangular, papillose, scabrid or glabrous, becoming glabrous towards the top, often with sparse rounded papillae along ridges.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves (10)16–40(65) x (0.4)0.6–1.5(2) mm., filiform to narrowly linear, rarely narrowly linear-lanceolate, apex acute, very slightly narrowed to the base, margins mostly revolute, ± glabrous or lower surfaces especially midrib and margins with rounded loosely arranged papillae, numerous short shoot leaves often giving nodes a fasciculate appearance; stipular sheath (0.5)0.6–1.5(1.7) mm. long, glabrous, stipular lobes 0.4–1.2(2) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences ± spreading, 1 or mostly 2 flowers at a node, one subsessile, the other pseudo-pedicellate; peduncles (2) 10–45 mm. long; pseudo-pedicels 3–12(20) mm. long; glabrous, scabrid or ± verrucosely papillose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tube (0.8)1–1.6(1.8) x (0.7)1–1.5(1.7) mm., hemispherical to ± ovoid, glabrous or minutely verrucose; lobes (0.5)1–2(2.5) mm. long and 0.2–0.6 mm. wide at the base, broadly to narrowly triangular, rarely ± ovate-lanceolate, glabrous or ± scabrid with minute papillae along margins and midribs or minutely verrucose occasionally with short filiform elements on either side.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers scented during late afternoon and evening; corolla lobes above white, cream, more rarely pinkish mauve, tube and lobes darker below—brown, reddish brown, olive green, olive brown or dirty cream, glabrous or outside of dilated tube and midvein on back of lobes with sparse small round papillae; tube altogether (8.5)9.6–14.2(16) mm. long, the widened part (1.4)1.5–2.6(3.4) x 1–1.8(2) mm., the narrow part (0.4)0.5–1 mm. wide; lobes 2.8–5.8(7) x (0.8)1–2(2.5) mm., narrowly oblong to ovate, not quite parted to the base, ± acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers narrowly ovate, c. 1–2.2 mm. long, often sterile, connectives darkly discoloured; pollen 3- (very rarely 4-)colporate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Style 1.5–2.6 mm. long; stigma lobes 1.4–2.6 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsules (1)2.2–3 x (2.2)2.8–3.8(4.3) mm., obconic-hemispherical rarely subglobose, glabrous or slightly scabrid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds brown c. 0.6 mm. long, angular-subconic.