Diospyros lycioides Desf.
subsp. sericea (Bernh.) De Winter

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Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Greystone Park NR

Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea

Photo: Petra Ballings
Val D'Or

Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea

Photo: Mark Hyde
Mukuvisi Woodland, road to Education Centre

Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Haka Game Park

Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Haka Game Park

Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Haka Game Park

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

Synonyms: Royena sericea Bernh.
Common names: Eastern blue-bush (English) Mumbune (Shona) Mushawa (Shona) Mushumadombo (Shona) Musvotamhungu (Shona) Mutsvirikiti (Shona) Mutsvitsva (Shona) Nyatsvipa (Shona) Red star-apple (English) Umbongisa (Ndebele) Umqathuva (Ndebele) Umsungampule (Ndebele)
Frequency: Common
Status: Native
Description:
Deciduous suffrutex, shrub or small tree up to 6 m. Bark grey, smooth. Leaves obovate to oblanceolate, densely sericeous-pubescent; secondary nerves but not the main veins prominently raised. Male flowers solitary, axillary; calyx up to 8 mm, deeply lobed almost to base; corolla up to 1 cm, campanulate, creamy-white, 5-lobed to just below middle. Female flowers similar to male. Fruit up to 2 × 1.5 cm, ovoid or spherical, red, apiculate. Fruiting calyx up to 1.5 cm, accrescent; lobes narrowly triangular, strongly reflexed.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: lycioides: resembling a Lycium (Solanaceae);
sericea: with silky appressed hairs, sericeous
Habitat: In a wide variety of habitats, namely on termite mounds, in woodland and grassland, riverine vegetation and rocky places.
Altitude range: (metres) 700 - 1740 m
Flowering time:Sep - Dec
Worldwide distribution: DRC, Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, as far south as the Eastern Cape
Zimbabwe distribution: N,W,C,E,S
Growth form(s): Tree, shrub over 2 m, shrub under 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated: Monday 28 September 2015
Literature:

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 756. (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 21.

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 14.

Coates Palgrave, M. (1989). Guide to the trees and shrubs of the Mukuvisi Woodlands ?publisher. Page 9. as Diospyros lycioides

Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 520 - 521.

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 267.

Drummond, R.B. (1981). Common Trees of the Central Watershed Woodlands of Zimbabwe. Natural Resources Board, Harare. Pages 184 - 185. (Includes a picture).

Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 246. (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 39.

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 54.

Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 81.

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 206.

White, F. (1983). Ebenaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(1) Pages 272 - 274. (Includes a picture).


Other sources of information about Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea
Flora of Caprivi: Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea
Flora of Malawi: Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea
Flora of Mozambique: Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea
Flora of Zambia: Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea

External websites:

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


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: Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=144010, retrieved 19 March 2024

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