''Ochna membranacea'' is a shrub or small sized tree with yellow

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s surrounded by red sepals belonging to the family '' Ochnaceae''.

Description

A shrub or tree, the species is capable of reaching an height of 12 m; its stems tend to have longitudinal lines. The leaves have linear stipules and the leaflets are obovate to elliptic in shape; leaflets have a toothed margin and are capable of reaching 20 cm long and 7 cm wide, they are acuminate at the apex and cuneate to rounded at base. The yellow flowers are arranged in

panicles A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are ...

that are 5-12 cm long and the fuit is a kidney shaped drupe.

Distribution and habitat

Found in Tropical Africa from Guinea in West Africa eastwards to the

Congo Basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...

and Sudan. It is commonly found in gallery and evergreen forests and observed in thickets.

References

Flora of West-Central Tropical Africa membranacea {{Malpighiales-stub