Gardenia brachythamnus (K. Schum.) Launert

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Photo: Nicholas Wightman
Mukana area, Shangombo District, Western Province

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Synonyms:	Coffea angolensis R.D.Good Randia brachythamnus K.Schum.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Small shrub or subshrub 15–60(100) cm tall, with decumbent or erect divaricate shoots from a long many-headed rhizome. Leaves sessile, paired, borne on very abbreviated lateral shoots and appearing fascicled and also on normal expanded branches, 1–3.5(5.5) × 0.4–0.9(1.6) cm, oblong, oblanceolate to obovate or elliptic, obtuse to acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, pubescent above and on margins and main nerves beneath, at length glabrescent. Flowers terminal, solitary; pedicels very short. Calyx tube 2 mm long, pubescent; limb-tube 2 mm long, pubescent; lobes 5, 2–4 × 1.2 mm, narrowly triangular to lanceolate. Corolla white, turning yellow?; tube sometimes greenish, slender, 1.4–2 cm long, up to 4 mm wide at the throat, subcylindrical to narrowly funnel-shaped, at least above, glabrous to hispidulous outside, densely shortly pubescent inside; lobes 5, 9–17 × 3.5–6.5 mm, oblong to obovate, ± obtuse, glabrous or nearly so. Fruit 1–1.5 × 0.7–1.25 cm, broadly ellipsoid or ovoid, crowned with the persistent calyx. Seeds c. 4 per locule, densely immersed in the fleshy placenta, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, ovate or elliptic, dorsiventrally flattened.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	brachythamnus: Greek for short bush or short shrub, in reference to its habit.
Habitat:
Flowering time:	Oct - Jan
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe
Botswana distribution:	N
Growth form(s):	Shrub under 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Bridson, D.M. & Verdcourt, B. (2003). Rubiaceae, Part 3 Flora Zambesiaca 5(3) Page 667. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 72. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 97. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 223.

Other sources of information about Gardenia brachythamnus:

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Flora of Caprivi: Gardenia brachythamnus
Flora of Zambia: Gardenia brachythamnus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Gardenia brachythamnus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Gardenia brachythamnus
African Plant Database: Gardenia brachythamnus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Gardenia brachythamnus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Gardenia brachythamnus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Gardenia brachythamnus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Gardenia brachythamnus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Gardenia brachythamnus
JSTOR Plant Science: Gardenia brachythamnus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Gardenia brachythamnus
Plants of the World Online: Gardenia brachythamnus
Tropicos: Gardenia brachythamnus
Wikipedia: Gardenia brachythamnus