Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Edge of camp site, Chirinda Forest

Photo: Bart Wursten
By road to Chirinda Forest camp site

Photo: Mark Hyde
Amongst buildings, Outward Bound, Chimanimani

Photo: Mark Hyde
Grounds of Tanganda Training Centre, New Years Gift Estate

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Synonyms:	Jatropha moluccana L.
Common names:	Candle-berry tree (English) Candlenut tree (English) Varnish tree (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Introduced
Description:	Tree up to 10 m tall. Young shoots, inflorescences and petioles brown-stellate-tomentose. Leaves ovate, 3-5-veined from the base, entire or up to 5-lobed with a pair of discoid sessile glands at the base of the lamina; petiole 6-22 cm long. Inflorescences broadly conical. Petals 6-8 mm, yellowish-white. Fruit up to 4 × 5.5 cm, shallowly 2-lobed and with 4 ridges.
Notes:	The species has been included on the basis of recent evidence that it has become naturalized in the Chirinda Forest. Trees of various ages and sizes were seen and young, apparently self-seeded plants were found around the camp site and chalets. Leistner (2000, 2005) refers to the possibility of its escaping in South Africa and tropical Africa respectively. When not in flower it is similar to species of Vernicia both of which are also known to escape in Zimbabwe.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	At margins of forest.
Altitude range: (metres)	1150 m (approx)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Tropical Asia from India and China to Polynesia and New Zealand
Zimbabwe distribution:	E
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Micraphe lateritia (Larval foodplant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Thursday 9 May 2019
Literature:	Biegel, H.M. (1977). Check-list of ornamental plants used in Rhodesian parks and gardens. Rhodesia Agricultural Journal. Research Report No. 3. Page 20. Drummond, R.B. & Mapaure, I. (1994). List of Flowering Plants and ferns [of Chirinda Forest] In Chirinda Forest - A Visitor Forestry Commission, Harare Page 141. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 200 - 202. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Aleurites moluccana:

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Flora of Burundi: Aleurites moluccana
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Aleurites moluccana
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Aleurites moluccana
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Aleurites moluccana

External websites:

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