Alchemilla kiwuensis Engl.

Rosaceae, R. A. Graham. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1960

Morphology General Habit

A low herb usually with basal rosettes with or without creeping, ± slender runners covered with long spreading white hairs, often rooting and developing secondary rosettes at intervals.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules commonly 1–2.5 cm. long, united below, free and foliaceous above, the dorsal and ventral sutures being nearly of equal length, thus the aperture scarcely oblique.

Morphology Leaves

Stem-leaves smaller, usually 5-lobed, 1–1.5 cm. long, 1.5–2.5 cm. wide; petiole 1.5–2.5 cm. long. Rosette-leaves petiolate, rounded to reniform in outline, 5–7(–9)-lobed, 1.8–3(–4.5) cm. long, 2.5–4.5(–7) cm. wide, variably hairy on both surfaces with whitish hairs; lobes usually reaching beyond the centre of the lamina, oblong-elliptic to obovate, terminally rounded, the teeth up to 2 mm. deep and continuing down the sides of the lobes which are entire only towards the base; petiole 3–12 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in 1–4-flowered cymose clusters or in shortly branched panicles; the inflorescence rarely of only 1–2 flowers hidden by the stipules as in A. cryptantha; pedicels short, up to 1 mm. long, glabrous or hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube ± 2 mm. long, covered with long, spreading white hairs; calyx-lobes 0.75 mm. long, ovate-triangular; epicalyx-lobes exceeding the calyx-lobes, 1–1.25 mm. long, broadly ovate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes 5–8.

Habitat

Open spaces in moist bamboo-thicket and upland rain-forest, in upland grassland, often near streams and on rocky ground; 1250–3000 m.

Distribution

K3 K4 T2 T3 T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3

Rosaceae, E. J. Mendes. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb with usually persistent basal rosette, sometimes stoloniferous; stolons slender with long spreading white hairs, often rooting at intervals and developing secondary rosettes.

Morphology Leaves

Rosette-leaves petiolate, 2–4(6) x 4–7(11) cm., orbicular to reniform in outline, (5)7(9)-lobed, white-hairy on both surfaces; indumentum on superior surface scattered, with hairs pointing towards lobe-margins ; lobes deep, longer than 1/2 the radius of lamina, oblong-elliptic to obovate, marginally dentate almost to the base, the central lobe with c. 19 mucronulate ogive-shaped teeth up to 2 mm. long; petiole 6–12(18) cm. long, with long spreading hairs. Stem-leaves smaller, c. 1·5 x 1·5–2·5 cm., usually 5-lobed; petiole hairy, 1·5–2·5 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a shortly branched panicle of 1–4-flowered cymose clusters up to 25 cm. long, or rarely reduced to 1–2 flowers and then concealed within the stipules of the stolons as in A. cryptantha; pedicels glabrous or hairy, up to 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx with long white spreading hairs; epicalyx-lobes 1·0–1·2 mm. long, exceeding calyx-lobes; calyx-lobes c. 0·7 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes up to 1·2 mm. long.

Rosaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

Herb with trailing stems

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers pale green.