Triumfetta Plum. ex L.

Tiliaceae, C. Whitehouse, M. Cheek, S. Andrews & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Annual herbs to large shrubs, rarely with annual stems from a woody rootstock; stems mostly erect, pubescent, rarely prostrate or glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate; blade entire or trilobed, sometimes digitately divided to the base, margin serrate, rarely crenate; often with raised black glands at the petiole apex or adjoining leaf-blade, or sunken black cylindrical glands on the basal margin of the leaf, replacing the teeth; stipules narrowly triangular, brown, often persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence usually terminal, several-branched and leafy, with 1–12 cymes, each with (1–)3(–5) flowers at each node, usually opposite the leaf; cymes usually with short and inconspicuous peduncle, bracts and pedicels

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, entirely free, usually as long or longer than the petals, usually stellate-hairy and with 1(–2) glabrous, conspicuous terminal spines

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5, yellow to orange, often with a ± distinct basal claw, the basal part with a pubescent margin

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens all fertile, (5–)10–25(–35), often in 2 ranks in bud, reaching the same height at anthesis, filaments cylindrical; anthers dehiscing by slits

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary spherical, tomentose, with 2–5-locules each with 2 pendulous collateral ovules, style slightly longer and thicker than the stamen filaments; stigma entire or minutely 2–5-lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit spherical or ovoid, indehiscent or dehiscent by 4(–5) valves, dry, brown or black, very rarely ( T. glechomoides ) becoming red and fleshy, with hooked or straight bristles, rarely with thick-based spines

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1–2 per locule, subreniform, 1.5–4 mm long, brown or black, not fleshy.

Tiliaceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs, shrublets or shrubs, sometimes with annual stem from a woody rootstock.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, petiolate, simple or digitate, often lobed, serrate or crenate, often several-nerved from the base; stipules lateral.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, borne in cymes in terminal inflorescences or at the nodes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, usually linear and with a short horn just behind the apex, usually stellately hairy without.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5, yellow or orange, linear to obovate, narrowed to the base, and often hairy at the base or just above it.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4–40, raised on a short glabrous androgynophore or torus with a glandular patch just above each petal base; apex of the androgynophore produced into a ciliate or pubescent or villous disk or annulus between which and the ovary the stamens are inserted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary often tubercled or echinulate, each tubercle surmounted by one or more minute bristles, 2–5-locular with 2 pendulous collateral ovules in each loculus or falsely 10-locular by the intrusion of longitudinal false septa; style terete, about as long as the stamens; stigma entire or very shortly 2–5-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a capsule, dividing into 3–5-valves with 1–2 seeds per loculus or indehiscent, usually globose, sometimes ovoid, echinate or setose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds obovoid or subreniform; testa rather leathery and brown; embryo straight; cotyledons flat, suborbicular; endosperm fleshy, scanty.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or shrubs, usually bearing stellate hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves thin, variable, often 3–5-angled or -lobed, irregularly serrate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow or red, few or densely clustered in cymes or panicles, axillary or opposite the leaves, or sometimes in terminal racemes; sepals 5, somewhat hooded at the apex; petals 5 or sometimes lacking

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens numerous or sometimes 10, free, borne on the elevated 5-glandular receptacle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2–5-celled with 2 ovules in each cell; stigma 2–5-toothed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a subglobose prickly capsule, indehiscent or separating into cocci; prickles hooked at the apex, by this means often clinging to animals or to clothing; seeds 1 or 2 in each cell, with endosperm.

Distribution

A pantropical weedy genus of about 50 species.