Aulacocalyx laxiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or tree with elliptical leaves and white flowers. The species is native to The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Aulacocalyx laxiflora was described in 1961, and is listed as of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Taxonomy The species was described by Ernest Marie Antoine Petit in 1961.
Distribution Aulacocalyx laxiflora is native to the seasonally dry tropical biome of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Within Zambia, it is present in the Copperbelt, Northern, and Western regions. The species has an extent of occurrence of around .
The species grows around Kalambo Falls, in miombo woodlands, gallery forests, and disturbed areas. It grows at elevations of .
Description Aulacocalyx laxiflora is a shrub or small tree that grows high. The bark is more or less flaky.
The leaves are elliptical to elliptical-oblanceolate, long, and wide. The leaves may have domatia. The leaf stem is long.
The inflorescences grow on a stem, and have three to ten flowers. The calyx tube is long. The calyx lobes are linear, and long. The corolla is white, and forms a cylindrical, long tube. The corolla lobes are linear-oblong, long, and wide. The flowers are scented.
The fruit is round, and wide.
The species is similar to Heinsenia diervilleoides.
Conservation In 2022, the IUCN assessed Aulacocalyx laxiflora as of Least Concern. Agriculture and development may lead to habitat loss. The species is present in Kundelungu National Park.
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