Home | > | List of families | > | Capparaceae | > | Boscia | > | albitrunca |
Synonyms: |
Boscia transvaalensis Pestal. |
Common names: | Mudowe (Shona) Mugaragora (Shona) Mupama (Shona) Shepherd's tree (English) Tshibuyana (Ndebele) Umbombwe (Ndebele) Umhlope (Ndebele) Umtopi (Ndebele) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Small to medium-sized tree with a typically whitish bark and a rounded crown. Leaves mostly clustered on hard woody spurs along the branches, oblanceolate to elliptic, grey-green; veining almost invisible. Flowers axillary in dense branched clusters, small, without petals, greenish, sweetly scented. Fruit round, c. 10 mm in diameter, hairless, yellow when ripe. |
Notes: | In its, normally arid habitat, it is an important food source for game and cattle, and the trees often show a distinct browse-line. Due to its high regard in many local traditions, the trees are rarely cut. |
Derivation of specific name: | albitrunca: white-stemmed |
Habitat: | In hot and dry open bushveld, often on termite mounds. |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | Aug - Oct |
Worldwide distribution: | Mozambique, Zambia and Namibia, south to South Africa |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,E,S |
Growth form(s): | Tree. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia (Food plant) Colotis evenina evenina (Food plant) Colotis antevippe gavisa (Food plant) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Thursday 7 September 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 146. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 9. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 224 - 225. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 92 - 93. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 237. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 77. (Includes a picture). 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 31. Roodt, V. (1998). Trees and Shrubs of the Okavango Delta Shell Field Guide Series: Part I Shell Oil Botswana, Gaberone. Pages 28 - 30. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 43. Setshogo, M.P. & Venter, F. (2003). Trees of Botswana: names and distribution SABONET Report No. 18 Southern African Botanical Diversity Network, Pretoria Pages 6 - 7. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 202. Wild, H. (1960). Capparaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Pages 234 - 235. |
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