Anthostema madagascariense
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| Anthostema madagascariense | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Anthostema |
| Species: | A. madagascariense |
| Binomial name | |
| Anthostema madagascariense | |
Anthostema madagascariense is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae (spurge family). It is a small to medium-sized tree or large bush, endemic to Madagascar, the Comoro Islands and Mayotte.[1]
Anthostema madagascariense is an evergreen tree, rich in latex in all its parts, which grows to a height of about 30 m (100 ft). The trunk is cylindrical and straight, and up to 70 cm (28 in) in diameter; the lower half is usually devoid of branches. The bark is dark red or blackish, and deeply fissured. The leaves are alternate. The leaf blades are leathery, obovate or elliptical, with entire margins, and are borne on short, grooved petioles. They measure up to 13 by 5 cm (5 by 2 in) and have wedge-shaped bases and either tapering or blunt apexes. The inflorescence is a cyme growing in the axil of a leaf. The individual flowers are either male or female. The female flower has a three or four-lobed perianth and a spreading style, and is surrounded by several male flowers, each with a three or four-toothed perianth, and a single stamen. The fruits are three-lobed capsules about 2 cm (0.8 in) in diameter, green at first but turning brown as they become dry and split open to reveal the three oval, flattened, brown seeds.[2]