Clerodendrum buchananii (Roxb.) Walp.

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol 8, Pt 7. Avicenniaceae, R. Fernandes. Nesogenaceae, M.A. Diniz. Verbenaceae, R. Fernandes. Lamiaceae, R. Fernandes. 2005.

Type

Type from India.

Morphology General

An erect (or climbing?) shrub to c. 4 m high

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 7.8–30 × 7.3–20 cm, broadly ovate to suborbicular, shortly acuminate at the apex, deeply cordate at the base, entire or minutely remotely dentate or repand-dentate, hairy above, more densely so beneath; petiole 1–16 cm long, stout, densely hairy

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Cymes 7–15-flowered, disposed in terminal, paniculate or corymbose inflorescences; peduncles of the lower cymes 2–6 cm long; pedicels of the dichotomies 6–11 mm long; rhachis, peduncles and pedicels puberulous, reddish

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 3–5 mm long, campanulate or cylindric.campanulate; lobes 1.25–2.5 mm, triangular, acute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla bright red, scarlet or carmine; tube 1.2–3 cm long; lobes 7–15 × 4–5(6–8) mm, ± reflexed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens exserted portion of 2–2.5 cm long; anthers c. 3 mm long, reddish; style 3–4 cm long, pink-red

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 8–9 mm wide, at first green or dark green, later orange or bright blue, blue-violet to black.

Note

According to literature C. speciosissimum is cultivated in some countries of west and east Africa.  We have seen São Tomé's specimens ( Espirito Santo 40 and 3691; Mendonça 8 (COI) the first and the latter referred by Exell to C. speciosissimum (cf. Exell, Cat. Vasc. Pl. of S. Tomé: 265 (1944), for Mendonça 8; Suppl. Cat. Vasc. Pl. S. Tomé: 38 (1956) for Espirito Santo 40).  However, by the size of their floral parts, they do not differ from the Mozambican ones. A revision of these two taxa is perhaps necessary. According to Moldenke (op. cit.: 287), C. buchananii closely resembles C. speciosissimum C. Morren and it has been confused with it by many authors.  The main distinctions are the different sizes of the floral parts: calyx 3–5 mm long in C. buchananii versus 7–12 mm long in C. speciosissimum ; corolla tube 5–6-times as long as the calyx in the first versus 3–4-times as long as the calyx in the second; corolla lobes 7–10 × 4–5 mm, stamens 2–2.5 cm long and style 3–4 cm long in C. buchananii versus corolla lobes 10–25 × 10 mm long, stamens 4–6 cm long and style 6–7 cm long in C. speciosissimum . After Backer & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr. (Fl. Java 2 : 610 (1965), the calyx in C. buchananii is 5–8 mm long and has appressed lobes at most 1.5 mm wide, while in C. speciosissimum the calyx is 8–10 mm long and has erect-patent lobes, 2.5–3.5 mm wide. In the Mozambican specimens seen, the calyx does not exceed 4 mm (total length), the lobes are 1.25–2 mm long, the corolla tube 1.6–2.2 cm long, the corolla lobes 9–14 × 6–8 mm and the stamens exceed the corolla tube for 20–22 mm.  From these measurements, we think that they belong to C. buchananii , determination also reported by White (loc. cit.) for the Zambian specimen.  However, in the specimen Pedro 4979 (LMA), cultivated in a garden in Maputo, the calyx is more deeply divided than in the other two specimens and its lobes are a little reflexed at the apex, as it is described for C. speciosissimum .

Distribution

Mozambique Zambia District code: MOZ C, MOZ M. Native to Java.  It occurs in Africa as a cultivated garden ornamental.