Home | > | List of families | > | Malvaceae subfamily Grewioideae | > | Grewia | > | flava |
Synonyms: |
Grewia cana Sond. Grewia hermannioides Harv. |
Common names: | Brandybush (English) Velvet raisin (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Dense multi-stemmed shrub, up to 2 m tall, occasionally a taller small tree. Bark dark grey-brown; young branches velvety, becoming dark purple-black. Leaves alternate, often held upright, elliptic to oblanceolate-obovate, up to 7 × 2.5 cm, 3-veined from the almost symmetric base, grey-green above, paler below, finely hairy on both surfaces or more so below; margin finely to somewhat coarsely toothed. Flowers yellow fading to orange-brown, 1.5 cm in diameter, solitary or in few-flowered axillary heads. Fruit spherical or 2-lobed, c. 8 mm in diameter, reddish-brown when ripe, edible. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | flava: yellow, referring to the flower colour, which is also yellow in many other species. |
Habitat: | In dry deciduous woodland, often on Kalahari sand. |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | Oct - Mar |
Worldwide distribution: | Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, South Africa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | W,C,S |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | Leucochitonea levubu (Larval foodplant) Abantis tettensis (Larval foodplant) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Wednesday 4 July 2018 |
Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 19. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 432 - 433. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 258. 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 81. Roodt, V. (1998). Trees and Shrubs of the Okavango Delta Shell Field Guide Series: Part I Shell Oil Botswana, Gaberone. Pages 76 - 78. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 109. Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 46. as Grewia cana Wild, H. (1963). Tiliaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(1) Pages 52 - 53. |
Home | > | List of families | > | Malvaceae subfamily Grewioideae | > | Grewia | > | flava |