Home | > | List of families | > | Anacardiaceae | > | Lannea | > | edulis |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | Tsombori (English) Wild grape (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Dwarf shrublet or suffrutex, growing from a large woody rootstock. Leaves mostly compound with 2 to 4 pairs of leaflets or rarely simple (see image 5), densely covered in silvery hairs when young (image 3). Flowers in erect spikes near the ground, small, yellowish, tinged with red. Fruit a red fleshy drupe tipped with 3 to 4 pointed remains of the styles. Flowers and fruits normally appear before the leaves and are conspicuous on burnt ground. The pulp of the grape-like fruits is eaten but the skins are discarded. A root extract is used as a remedy for diarrhoea. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | edulis: edible |
Habitat: | In grassland, vleis and open woodland, especially noticeable after a fire. |
Flowering time: | Aug - Oct |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, DRC, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Caprivi Namibia and Mpumalanga, South Africa |
Botswana distribution: | |
Growth form(s): | Shrub under 2 m. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | Eucraera gemmata (Food plant) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 56. as Lannea edulis (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 36. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 23. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 21. Fernandes, R. & A. (1966). Anacardiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(2) Pages 565 - 567. (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 16. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 22. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 37. |
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