Home | > | List of families | > | Thymelaeaceae | > | Peddiea | > | africana |
Synonyms: |
Peddiea dregei Meisn. Peddiea fischeri Engl. Peddiea harveyi Meisn. |
Common names: | Chiburawaringa (Shona) Green flower tree (English) Poison olive (English) Rusitu (Shona) |
Frequency: | Common in Eastern Highlands |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Much-branched shrub or small tree, occurring in the understorey of montane evergreen forest. Leaves alternate, glossy dark green, leathery, elliptic, lanceolate or oblanceolate, 3-12 cm long; base decurrent making the leaves look sessile or shortly petiolate; margin entire. Inflorescences terminal 3-10-flowered umbels. Flowers green, calyx shortly 4-5-lobed with a ribbed tube 1-2 cm long; petals absent. Fruit an ovoid berry 10-14 mm long, with an apical point, hairless, purple to black when ripe. |
Notes: | The species is often easily recognized by two features: 1. the white spots, which mark nearly every specimen (image 1). These markings are caused by a parasite, which seems to target Peddiea africana exclusively; and 2. if a side branch is picked, there is never a clean break; the outer bark of the twig it is attached to peels off. |
Derivation of specific name: | africana: African |
Habitat: | In understorey of montane evergreen forest. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1400 - 2000 m |
Flowering time: | Sep - Feb |
Worldwide distribution: | Fairly widespread in tropical Africa, Eswatini and South Africa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Monday 2 October 2017 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 276. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 653. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 43. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 775. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 113. 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 22. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 262. 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 80. Peterson, B. (updated by Verdcourt, B.) (2006). Thymelaeaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(3) Pages 91 - 93. Also as Peddiea fischeri (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 101. As Peddiea fischeri Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 452 - 453. (Includes a picture). Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 54. as Peddiea dregei (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 180. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 222 - 223. (Includes a picture). Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (2013). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Second edition) Struik, South Africa Pages 266 - 267. (Includes a picture). White, F. (1962). Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia Oxford Univ. Press. Pages 272 - 273. As Peddiea fischeri (Includes a picture). White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Pages 568 - 569. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 100. |
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