Maerua juncea subsp. crustata leaves and flowers

The alternate leaves of Maerua juncea subsp. crustata are compound, one to three-foliolate. The leaf is stalked at an angle, the petiole from 5 mm to 35 mm long, while the leaflet petiolules are only 3 mm to 8 mm long.

The leaflets are linear, elliptic to ovate in shape, the tip tapering to a point or rounded with bristle-tip or mucro present. The leaflet base tapers, the margins are entire. The blades are grey-green and hairless, folding in along their midribs. Leaflet dimensions are from 22 mm to 75 mm long and 5 mm to 20 mm wide. The leaves are browsed by game.

The flowers are clustered at branch tips in groups of two to eight. The flower is largely a bunch of long, stiff, white stamens in true Maerua fashion, although there are small white petals below and larger green sepals reflexed from the base. The stamens are 25 mm long, the petals up to 8 mm long and 6 mm wide and the sepals up to 15 mm long.

The green ovary is presented among the anthers on a long gynophore, i.e. the stalk of the pistil (an elongation of the receptacle). Gynophores are a feature of some flowering plant families including Capparaceae, where it is found in some of its genera including Maerua.

The gynophore of the flower in picture is visible, thicker than the filaments around it. The green ovary at its tip is considerably larger than the anthers but still small. The stigma is almost immediately above the ovary.

Flowering happens during spring (Schmidt, et al, 2002; Pooley, 1998; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; iNaturalist; www.zimbabweflora.co.zw).