Rubiaceae
Rothmannia octomera
- Flower bud.
- Open flower, slightly wilted, and leaves.
- Immature fruit.
- Midrib and venation, leaf lower surface.
- Stipule and three petioles.
- Habit and open flower.
General Information
It is perhaps a little underhand to include this species in a book of trees because it is usually a low shrub and only occasionally gets to be as high as 3 m. The size of the plant, however, is compensated by the size of the flower which has a corolla tube about 20 cm long. The flower is also unusual in the genus as being the only one in the area with more than five petals. Unlike Rothmannia whitfieldii, the flowers remain open for more than one night and they are upright. The fruit shape and how they are held is also different from that species. The leaves and stems are covered in soft hairs which can feel bristly when touched. The young leaves are very thin and papery.
Ecology
A common shrub in forest understory in mixed species terra firma and Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest. It also occurs in area with a high water table, such as the edge of seasonally flooded forest.
Distribution
Distribution: Nigeria to DRC and Gabon.