Ca. 1.5 m tall, green and succulent. Leaves stipulate, opposite
one another or opposite a branch, compound with two obovate, entire leaflets
and a tiny projection (rachis remnant?) between them. Herbage completely
glabrous.
(this about half life-size)
Flowers minute, single in the axils of the leaves and branches or single
on the sides of the branches.
Developing fruit on
pedicel, ca. 2.2 x life size
I have only a few very small (ca. 3 to 4 mm long) flowers that I have
been able to peek into, and they are quite brittle and I can't quite count
the parts. There is a perianth, composed of both ovate (outer) and
oblanceolate (inner) segments. Stamens are 3 or more, the filaments
neither connate nor inserted on the petals. Anthers are long-sagittate
and basifixed, filaments varying in length. There are glands or staminodes
as well--some of the ones nearest the periphery of the flower are glandular
toothed and quite frilly; those nearest the stamens seemingly attached
to them, shorter, and not so frilly. Ovary superior, ellipsoid, slightly
elevated above the attachment point of the perianth and stamens; style
1, terminal, slightly flattened in the middle. Developing fruit with
pedicel spreading to slightly deflexed (or this perhaps a remnant of pressing).
Fruit, tepals, stamens,
ovary, staminodium/gland
Any pointers greatly appreciated! E-mail at monique@mail.bio.tamu.edu