Home | > | List of families | > | Loganiaceae | > | Strychnos | > | potatorum |
Synonyms: |
Strychnos stuhlmannii Gilg |
Common names: | Black bitterberry (English) Grape strychnos (English) Mudanhapfunye (Shona) Mudyagudo (Shona) Mudyakuwe (Shona) Mudyambira (Shona) Umlombelombe (Ndebele) |
Frequency: | Common |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Small to medium-sized tree with dense foliage. Leaves opposite, 3-5-veined from the base, elliptic to ovate, glossy dark green, thinly textured, hairless. Flowers in axillary clusters of several, stalked, few-flowered heads, whitish to yellowish-green. Fruit up to 20 mm in diameter, purple-black when ripe, resembling grapes. |
Notes: | Fruits eaten by animals but not by people. |
Derivation of specific name: | potatorum: resembling a potato, presumably referring to the fruit, which looks more like a grape |
Habitat: | In dry woodland, along dry water courses and on termite mounds. |
Altitude range: (metres) | Up to 1600 m |
Flowering time: | Oct - Nov |
Worldwide distribution: | Tropical Africa to northern Botswana and Limpopo, South Africa |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
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: | Saturday 21 May 2016 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 782. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 929 - 930. (Includes a picture). Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Page 540. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 268. Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. (1983). Loganiaceae (inc. Buddlejaceae) Flora Zambesiaca 7(1) Pages 370 - 371. 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 58. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 100. Under Strychnaceae Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 542 - 545. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 108. Setshogo, M.P. & Venter, F. (2003). Trees of Botswana: names and distribution SABONET Report No. 18 Southern African Botanical Diversity Network, Pretoria Page 124. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Pages 117 - 118. 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 217. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 252 - 253. (Includes a picture). |
Home | > | List of families | > | Loganiaceae | > | Strychnos | > | potatorum |