Home | > | List of families | > | Apocynaceae subfamilies Apocynoideae and Rauvolfioideae | > | Acokanthera | > | rotundata |
Synonyms: |
Acokanthera schimperi (A. DC.) Schweinf. var. rotundata Codd |
Common names: | Round-leaved poison-bush (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Shrub or small tree. Bark greyish-brown, rough; branches conspicuously angled and ribbed, milky sap present. Leaves opposite broadly elliptic to subcircular, up to 7.5 cm long, shiny dark green above, paler below, very stiff and leathery, often very rough to the touch above; margin entire, often rolled under. Inflorescence of many-flowered axillary clusters; corolla white, often pink to red on the corolla tube, sweetly scented. Fruit almost round, fleshy, up to 2 cm in diameter, red to purple when ripe. |
Notes: | Note: a very poisonous species but the ripe fruit is edible though very bitter. |
Derivation of specific name: | rotundata: rotund, broadly rounded, referring to the relatively broad leaves. |
Habitat: | In dry woodland among rocks. |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | Feb - May |
Worldwide distribution: | Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,E,S |
Growth form(s): | Tree, shrub over 2 m. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Biegel, H.M. (1977). Check-list of ornamental plants used in Rhodesian parks and gardens. Rhodesia Agricultural Journal. Research Report No. 3. Page 19. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 2. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 268. As Acokanthera schimperi rotundata Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. & Kupicha, F.K. et al. (1985). Apocynaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(2) Page 406. 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 18. |
Home | > | List of families | > | Apocynaceae subfamilies Apocynoideae and Rauvolfioideae | > | Acokanthera | > | rotundata |