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Synonyms: |
Afrocrania volkensii (Harms) Hutch. |
Common names: | African dogwood (English) |
Frequency: | Rare and local in Zimbabwe |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Tree up to 18 m high; bark grey or black, granular. Leaves more or less narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 3·5–17·5 cm long, venation regular with prominent opposite to subopposite lateral veins curving to run parallel with the midrib, finely appressed pubescent when young, becoming hairless when odler. Inflorescences unisexual on different trees, terminal, densely flowered, at first enclosed within a characteristic globular bud protected by 4 ovate bracts. Male flowers arranged in pseudo-umbellate clusters; peduncles and pedicels with appressed pubescence; sepals short, triangular; petals 2 mm long, with scattered hairs; stamens 4. Female flowers greenish-yellow, in umbels; calyx with 4 minute free teeth; petals c. 3 mm long, with scattered hairs or hairless. Fruit an ellipsoid drupe, 10–11 mm long, with minute appressed hairs, crowned by the remains of the calyx, disk and style. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | volkensii: after G. Volkens who collected on Mt Kilimanjaro 1892, 1893 and 1894 |
Habitat: | In upland forest often along streams. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1200 - 2500 m |
Flowering time: | Feb - Apr |
Worldwide distribution: | DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
Growth form(s): | Tree. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
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 133. (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 724. (Includes a picture). Cannon, J.F.M. (1978). Cornaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Pages 637 - 638. as Afrocrania volkensii (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 859. as Afrocrania volkensii 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 18. as Afrocrania volkensii Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 265. as Afrocrania volkensii 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 37. as Afrocrania volkensii Maundu, P. & Tengnas, B. (Eds.) (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya Technical Handbook 35 World Agroforestry Centre - Eastern and Central Africa Regional Programme, Nairobi Page 176. (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 72. White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Pages 215 - 216. (Includes a picture). |
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