''Mkilua'' is a genus of

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

in the family Annonaceae. It is native to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

. It contains a single species, ''Mkilua fragrans''.

Bernard Verdcourt Bernard Verdcourt (20 January 1925 – 25 October 2011) was a biologist and taxonomist, most widely known as a botanist and latterly an honorary research fellow at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. Prior to coming to Kew in 1964, he ...

, the British botanist who first formally described the species, named it after the fragrance (''frāgrāns'' in Latin) of its flowers which smell like lemon. It is commonly called Mkilua Mwitu, Kilua and Kiluwa in Swahili, and Kingade in Digo (and Swahili). Volatile oils extracted from its leaves, flowers, and aerial parts have been reported to be repellent to ''

Anopheles gambiae The ''Anopheles gambiae'' complex consists of at least seven morphologically indistinguishable species of mosquitoes in the genus ''Anopheles''. The complex was recognised in the 1960s and includes the most important vectors of malaria in sub- ...

'' mosquitoes which are vectors for the malaria parasite ''

Plasmodium falciparum ''Plasmodium falciparum'' is a Unicellular organism, unicellular protozoan parasite of humans, and the deadliest species of ''Plasmodium'' that causes malaria in humans. The parasite is transmitted through the bite of a female ''Anopheles'' mosqu ...

''. Bioactive molecules extracted from its roots have been reported to have antimicrobial activity in tests with ''

Streptococcus agalactiae ''Streptococcus agalactiae'' (also known as group B streptococcus or GBS) is a gram-positive coccus (round bacterium) with a tendency to form chains (as reflected by the genus name ''Streptococcus''). It is a beta-hemolytic, catalase-negative, a ...

'' and ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive ...

''.

Description

It is a tree reaching 2.7-4.5 meters in height. Its leaves are 1.7-14 by 0.7-7 centimeters with blunt tips. The leaves are smooth on their upper surfaces while their undersides are hairy when young, but become smooth when mature. Its petioles are 1-2 millimeters long. Its flowers are solitary or grouped in

cymes 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. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed on ...

of 2-3. Each flower is on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

2.4 centimeters long. Its 3

sepals A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

are 4-6 by 4-7 millimeters. Its 6 petals are arranged in two rows of 3. The young petals are green, developing into white or cream colors with reddish-purple highlights at their base. The outer petals are 2.1–3.5 by 1.2–2.3 centimeters. The inner petals are 1.9 by 0.9–1.1 centimeters and hairy. Its orange

stamens The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

are 2-2.7 millimeters long. The flowers have 30-40

carpels Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

. Pollen is shed as permanent tetrads.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q1330483, from2=Q5459546 Annonaceae Flora of Kenya Flora of Tanzania Plants described in 1970 Monotypic magnoliid genera Annonaceae genera Taxa named by Bernard Verdcourt