Alchornea laxiflora (Benth.) Pax & K. Hoffm.

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Alchornea laxiflora

Photo: Colin Wenham
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Alchornea laxiflora

Photo: Colin Wenham
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Alchornea laxiflora

Photo: Colin Wenham
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Alchornea laxiflora

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along path in "sacred forest", Mahenye.

Alchornea laxiflora

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along path in "sacred forest", Mahenye.

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Alchornea schlechteri Pax
Lepidoturus laxiflorus Benth.
Common names: Lowveld bead-string (English) Murarahomba (Shona) Muruka (Shona)
Frequency: Locally common
Status: Native
Description:
Deciduous shrub or small tree. Bark smooth, pale grey, flaking. Leaves alternate, elliptic-lanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, up to 17 × 8 cm, acuminate, 3-veined from the base, thinly textured, light green, turning an attractive yellow or red in autumn; margin shallowly crenate-serrate. Flowers in axillary spikes, unisexual on the same plant. The reddish bracts more conspicuous than the small flowers. Fruit a 2-4-lobed capsule, 5-7 mm in diameter, thinly woody, blackish-brown.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: laxiflora: with lax or open inflorescences
Habitat: In riverine vegetation and mixed deciduous woodland, often on rocky outcrops.
Altitude range: (metres) Up to 1500 m
Flowering time:Sep - Dec
Worldwide distribution: From Nigeria to Ethiopia and down to Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Zimbabwe distribution: N,C,E,S
Growth form(s): Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated: Friday 27 October 2006
Literature:

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 432. (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 4.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 21.

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 252.

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 40.

Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 153 - 154.

Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 85.


Other sources of information about Alchornea laxiflora:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Alchornea laxiflora
Flora of Malawi: Alchornea laxiflora
Flora of Mozambique: Alchornea laxiflora
Flora of Zambia: Alchornea laxiflora

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Alchornea laxiflora
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Alchornea laxiflora
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Alchornea laxiflora
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Alchornea laxiflora
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Alchornea laxiflora
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Alchornea laxiflora
JSTOR Plant Science: Alchornea laxiflora
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Alchornea laxiflora
Plants of the World Online: Alchornea laxiflora
Tropicos: Alchornea laxiflora
Wikipedia: Alchornea laxiflora


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Alchornea laxiflora.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=134960, retrieved 28 March 2024

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