Landolphia kirkii
Landolphia kirkii (known as sand apricot-vine, rubber vine[1] or Kirk's landolphia[2]) is a species of liana from the family Apocynaceae that can be found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
| Landolphia kirkii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Landolphia |
| Species: | L. kirkii |
| Binomial name | |
| Landolphia kirkii Dyer | |
Description
The leaves of Landolphia kirkii are oblong and sometimes ovate and can reach up to 9 centimetres (3.5 in) in length. They are glossy green coloured from above, and have a channeled midrib. They have 10-12 pairs of lateral veins, with a net-veining that is slightly raised just above the midrib, that is pubescent underneath. The inflorescence has many flowers, which are white or creamy-yellow coloured and have a diameter of 1 centimetre (0.39 in). The flowers also have a tube that is 3.5–4 millimetres (0.14–0.16 in) long. The green fruits are spherical with a diameter of 15 centimetres (5.9 in), and are edible.[1]
Systematics
The specific epithet kirkii commemorates John Kirk, a companion of David Livingstone, who traveled to Zambezia for an expedition in 1858.[1]
The Bungo fruit widely growing on Pemba and Zanzibar islands in the Indian Ocean highly likely belongs to this species.
References
- "Landolphia kirkii Dyer ex Hook. f." Flora of Zimbabwe. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
- USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Landolphia kirkii". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
External links
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Landolphia kirkii". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.