''Baroniella camptocarpoides'' is a species of

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

in the

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

family. It is endemic to

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

Julien Noël Costantin Julien Noël Costantin (16 August 1857 – 17 November 1936) was a French botanist and mycologist who was a native of Paris. He studied at École Normale Supérieure on the Rue d'Ulm. In 1881 he received his license in natural history and two year ...

and Ernest-Isidore Gallaud, the botanists who first

formally described A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differ ...

the species, named it after its resemblance to, but distinctiveness from, plants in the genus Camptocarpus.

Description

It is twining plant that reaches 4 meters in height and is woody only at the base of its stem. The hairless, thin, narrow, elliptical leaves are 3–6 by 1–3.5 centimeters. The tips of the leaves pointed to sharply pointed. The bases have a cut-off to wedge shape. The leaves' midribs are impressed on top, projecting below. The secondary veins are faint and even with the surface of the leaves. Its petioles are 5–12 millimeters long, often curved. Its pendulous, branched

Inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s occur in

axillary Axillary means "related to the axilla (armpit)" or "related to the leaf axils". "Axillary" may refer to: Biology * Axillary artery * Axillary border * Axillary fascia * Axillary feathers * Axillary hairs * Axillary lines * Axillary lymph nodes ...

and terminal positions and are 2-10 centimeters long. Each inflorescence has numerous flowers. 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 ...

that is 5–15 millimeters long. The pedicels have

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s that are up to 1 millimeter long. Its flowers have 5 oblong to oval

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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

that are 1.3–1.6 by 1.2–1.6 millimeters, with rounded tips and smooth margins. Its 5 dull-red to purple petals are fused at the base forming a 1.8–2.7 millimeter long tube. The free, narrow to broad, oval to elliptical lobes of the petals are 6.1–8.8 by 3.1–5.4 millimeters. The tips of the petals are rounded to pointed. The flowers have a structure between the petals and the

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s called a corona. Its corona forms a short undulating ring with lobes between the stamens that are 0.2–0.3 millimeters high with flat to slightly bi-lobed tops, as well as indistinct lobes opposite the stamens. The flowers have 5

with rectangular anthers and filaments that are 0.5–1.0 millimeters long. The connective tissue between the compartments forms and extended cap half again as long as the anther. The flowers have a

pistil Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) 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 (botany), whorl of a flower; it consists ...

that is 1.4–1.9 millimeters long with an inverse-cone shaped stigma. The stigma has 5 subtle lobes and each lobe bears a structure called a pollen carrier. The pollen carriers have a stalk and a 0.5–1.0 millimeter long spathe. The hairless, long, thin, curved fruit are 20–28 by 0.2–0.3 centimeters that are recurved 45–90 degrees at their base. Each fruit has several seeds that are 7–8 millimeters long that are tufted with 2.5 centimeters long hairs.

Reproductive biology

The pollen of ''Baroniella camptocarpoides'' is shed as permanent tetrads.

Distribution and habitat

It has been observed growing in sandy soils, in coastal forests at elevations of up to 580 meters.

References

{{Taxonbar, from= Q15395346 Apocynaceae Plants described in 1907 Flora of Madagascar Taxa named by Julien Noël Costantin