Buddleja acuminata
Encyclopedia
Buddleja acuminata is a rare shrub
endemic to the northern half of Madagascar
and eastern Zaire
, where it grows along forest edges and in clearings at elevations of 50 - 800 m. The species was first named and described by Poiret
in 1810
, shrub 1.5 - 3 m in height, with stellate
-tomentose
branchlets. The opposite dark - green leaves have petiole
s 0.7 - 2 cm long, the blades variable in shape, from triangular
to narrowly ovate
, 5 - 11 cm long by 1.5 - 6.5 cm wide, long - acuminate at the apex, subcordate to cuneate
at the base, all but glabrous
above, stellate - tomentose below; the margins range from coarsely dentate
at the base, to entire
and covered by a thick felt-like indumentum
. The inflorescence
s are white panicles, initially small and congested < 2 cm in diameter at anthesis
, enlarging to 15 cm long by 6 cm, the corollas 9 - 13 mm long.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
endemic to the northern half of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and eastern Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
, where it grows along forest edges and in clearings at elevations of 50 - 800 m. The species was first named and described by Poiret
Jean Louis Marie Poiret
Jean Louis Marie Poiret was a French clergyman, botanist and explorer.From 1785 to 1786 he was sent by Louis XVI to Algeria to study the flora...
in 1810
Description
B. acuminata is a sarmentose, often lianescentLiana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
, shrub 1.5 - 3 m in height, with stellate
Stellate
Stellate, meaning star-shaped, may refer to:* Stellate cell* Stellate ganglion* Stellate reticulum* Stellate veins* Stellate trichomes on plants* Stellate laceration or incisionWound#Open...
-tomentose
Tomentose
Tomentose is a term used to describe plant hairs that are flattened and matted, forming a woolly coating known as tomentum. Often the hairs are silver or gray-colored...
branchlets. The opposite dark - green leaves have petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
s 0.7 - 2 cm long, the blades variable in shape, from triangular
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
to narrowly ovate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
, 5 - 11 cm long by 1.5 - 6.5 cm wide, long - acuminate at the apex, subcordate to cuneate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
at the base, all but glabrous
Glabrousness
Glabrousness is the technical term for an anatomically atypical lack of hair, down, or similar structures...
above, stellate - tomentose below; the margins range from coarsely dentate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
at the base, to entire
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
and covered by a thick felt-like indumentum
Indumentum
The indumentum is a covering of fine hairs or bristles on a plant or insect.In plants, the indumentum types are:*pubescent*hirsute*pilose*villous*tomentose*stellate*scabrous*scurfy...
. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are white panicles, initially small and congested < 2 cm in diameter at anthesis
Anthesis
Anthesis is the period during which a flower is fully open and functional. It may also refer to the onset of that period.The onset of anthesis is spectacular in some species. In Banksia species, for example, anthesis involves the extension of the style far beyond the upper perianth parts...
, enlarging to 15 cm long by 6 cm, the corollas 9 - 13 mm long.