''Keetia gueinzii'' is an evergreen scandent shrub in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules ...

. The species epitheton is named after

Wilhelm Gueinzius Wilhelm Gueinzius (15 March 1813 – 24 January 1874) was a German naturalist, collector and apothecary. Life Gueinzius was born in Trotha, a suburb of Halle. In his youth he attended the grammar school "Franckesche Stiftung" in Halle, but ...

, a German naturalist who collected plants in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. It became the type species of ''

Keetia ''Keetia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of climbers or scrambling shrubs, rarely small trees. Distribution The genus has a wide distribution area and occurs in tropical and southern Africa. Taxonomy It was ...

'' after the original type species, ''Keetia transvaalensis'', was made a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

. This species is found down the southern African east coast in

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

and

. Young branches are covered with rust-coloured hairs. Leaves measure 5.5–13.5 × 3.5–6 cm, more or less lanceolate to ovate, acuminate apex, rounded to cordate at the base, often bullate, and glabrous to pubescent beneath.

Acarodomatia Acarodomatia (singular ''Acarodomatium'') (Latin: ''Acari'' - mites, ''domus'' - dwelling), are tussocks of hairs or nonglandular trichomes located in pits situated in major leaf vein axes of many plant species, occupied and caused by predatory and ...

present in the axils of the veins. Petioles are covered with crisped or patent hairs. Fruit 7–9 × 11–14 mm, somewhat oblong in profile, glabrous, black when ripe. It grows in the altitude range of 800–2200 m.

References

External links

Flower images at Flickr

World Checklist of Rubiaceae
* gueinzii Flora of Malawi Flora of Zimbabwe Flora of Mozambique Flora of South Africa Taxa named by Diane Mary Bridson Taxa named by Otto Wilhelm Sonder {{Rubiaceae-stub