Kirkia acuminata Oliv.

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Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hill near Tuli police camp

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hill near Tuli police camp.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hill near Tuli police camp.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hill near Tuli police camp.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hill near Tuli police camp.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
By the lodges, Lake Kyle Recreational Park

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
By the lodges, Lake Kyle Recreational Park

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Plateau above Archway Gorge, Mweredzi River, Gorongosa National Park, Muanza.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Plateau above Archway Gorge, Mweredzi River, Gorongosa National Park, Muanza.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Plateau above Archway Gorge, Mweredzi River, Gorongosa National Park, Muanza.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Plateau above Archway Gorge, Mweredzi River, Gorongosa National Park, Muanza.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Bart Wursten
Plateau above Archway Gorge, Mweredzi River, Gorongosa National Park, Muanza.

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Mark Hyde
New Years Gift Estate, Chipinge district

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Mark Hyde
By road from New Years Gift towards Tanganda Halt

Kirkia acuminata

Photo: Mark Hyde
By road from New Years Gift towards Tanganda Halt

Detailed records: Display species records QDS maps by: Google Maps Point records by Google Maps

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

Synonyms: Kirkia pubescens Burtt Davy
Common names: White seringa (English) White syringa (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Medium-sized deciduous tree. Leaves sticky when young, alternate, crowded near the ends of branches, imparipinnate; leaflets narrowly ovate, tapering at the apex; margins finely serrated. Flowers small, greenish-cream, in branched axillary inflorescences. Fruit a thinly woody capsule, splitting into 4 valves.
Type location:
Syntypes from Mozambique
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: acuminata: acuminate, with a long point, referring to the leaflets
Habitat: In various types of woodland, often on rocky ridges.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:Oct - Dec
Worldwide distribution: Angola, Botswana, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, South Africa.
FZ divisions: N
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., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 365. (Includes a picture).

Coates Palgrave, K. et al. (1956). Trees of Central Africa National Publications Trust, Salisbury. Pages 411 - 414. (Includes a picture).

Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 260 - 261. (Includes a picture).

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 249.

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 54.

Meerts, P. & Hasson, M. (2016). Arbres et arbustes du Haut-Katanga Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique Page 309. (Includes a picture).

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 77.

Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Pages 29 - 30. (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 178.

Wild, H. & Phipps, J.B. (1963). Simaroubaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(1) Pages 214 - 216. (Includes a picture).


Other sources of information about Kirkia acuminata:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: Kirkia acuminata
Flora of the DRC: Kirkia acuminata
Flora of Malawi: Kirkia acuminata
Flora of Mozambique: Kirkia acuminata
Flora of Zambia: Kirkia acuminata
Flora of Zimbabwe: Kirkia acuminata

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-25

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2025). Flora of Botswana: Species information: Kirkia acuminata.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=133250, retrieved 15 June 2025

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