S.M.H. Jafri

Shrubs or small trees, usually unarmed but branches sometimes ending sharply. Leaves petiolate, simple (sometimes 3-foliolate), hairs ashy; stipules minute and inconspicuous. Flowers usually in terminal racemes, or axillary solitary to fascicled, pedicelled. Sepals 4 in 2 series, free, the inner pair usually enclosed by the outer pair. Petals 4-0, clawed. Disk-appendix about as Iong as the petal claw, tubular, often trumpet shaped, apex generally petaloid and more or less toothed. Stamens 4-6 (-8), exserted, spreading; filaments on a short androphore or irregularly fused with the gynophore. Gynophore usually long; ovary 1 (-2)-locular with many ovules on 2(-4) parietal placentas. Fruit subcylindrical, slightly torulose, coriaceous, tardily dehiscent or indehiscent; internal tissues sorrounding the seeds often orange coloured; seeds subglobose.

About 30 spp., mostly in Africa and a few in Arabia and eastwards to Malesia and northern Australia. Of these, only 2 species are recorded from W. Pakistan.

Lower Taxa

• Cadaba farinosa Forssk.
• Cadaba heterotricha Stocks ex Hooker