Description :

• Lianas with stems up to 10-15 m long; roots tuberous, often with subspherical part above ground, up to 0.6 m in diameter
• Leaves semicoriaceous, petiolate, with axillary tooth-like and hair-like colleters, with interpetiolar line; blade broadly oblong, base broadly rounded and truncate to cordate, apex rounded and cuspidate, dark green, glabrous and glossy, secondary veins patent
• Inflorescences axillary at terminal nodes, few-flowered
• Flowers with gynostegium exserted from corolla
• Sepals broadly ovate, semisucculent, pale green
• Corolla rotate, pale green to yellow; lobes narrowly triangular to triangular-ovate, apex acuminate
• Corona lobes arising from corolla mouth, erect, filiform
• Stamens arising at base of corona lobes, free; anthers 4-locular, triangular, glabrous
• Style head broadly pentangularly ovoid with conical or bifid apex
• Follicles paired, widely diverging, vary narrowly ovoid with acuminate or acute apex
• Seeds subovoid, blackish brown, tuft of silvery white hairs

Nomenclature:

• Petopentia Bullock
  • Bullock: 362 (1954)
• Pentopetia Decne. in part
  • Schlechter: 257 (1894).
• Tacazzea Decne. in part
  • Brown: 541 (1907)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa : Species 1: Petopentia natalensis (Schltr.) Bullock, KwaZulu-Natal and Transkei region of Eastern Cape; humid, subtropical areas