Home | > | List of families | > | Salicaceae | > | Oncoba | > | spinosa |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | Fried-egg flower (English) Snuff box tree (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Glabrous shrub or small tree, to 5 m. Branches with pale lenticels and sharp axillary spines to 5 cm Leaves elliptic, ovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic; base abruptly cuneate; apex acuminate; margin serrate or serrate-crenate. Sepals 1.5 cm, 4, concave, shortly united at base. Petals c.2 × as long as sepals, 8-10, white. Fruit c.5 cm in diameter, spherical, dark green or finally brown, smooth with c.8 faint longitudinal lines; old calyx persistent at base. Seeds c.6 × 4 mm, brown, shiny. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | spinosa: spiny |
Habitat: | In woodland, riverine sites and on rocky hills. |
Flowering time: | Sep - Jan |
Worldwide distribution: | From Arabia southwards through tropical Africa to South Africa |
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: |
Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 84 - 85. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 634. (Includes a picture). Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Page 468. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 261. 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 53. Under Flacourtiaceae Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 75. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 105. 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 214. Wild, H. (1960). Flacourtiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Pages 273 - 276. (Includes a picture). |
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