Searsia burchellii
Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record (Click here to see images of this plant from Kyffhäuser)
Image 1
Leaves
02 Apr 2015
Image 2
Leaves
02 Apr 2015
Image 3
Young leaves
02 Apr 2015
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Full name: | Searsia burchellii Sond. ex Engl. |
| ID status: | Fairly certain |
| Afrikaans common name(s): | Karoo-koeniebos, Taaibos, Blinkblaar taaibos, Kunibos, Kuniebos |
| English common name(s): | Karoo kuni-bush, Kuni-bush |
| Synonym(s): | Rhus burchellii Sond. ex Engl. Rhus burchellii Sond. ex Engl. var. tricrenata Engl. fide Fl. S. Africa 19 (3:1): 82 Rhus rangeana Engl. fide Fl. S. Africa 19 (3:1): 83 Rhus undulata Jacq. var. burchellii (Sond. ex Engl.) Schönland Rhus undulata Jacq. var. tricrenata (Engl.) R.Fern. |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: | Much-branched, evergreen, sometimes thorny, divaricate shrub up to 5 m high. Bark granular, grey-brown; branches and branchlets squarrose, prominently lenticellate. Leaves trifoliolate, petiolate, crowded on spurs; petiole semiterete, canaliculate above, (4-)8(-11) mm long; leaflets sessile, subcoriaceous, concolorous, olive-green, laccate, glabrous, hypostomatous; lamina cuneate, obtriangular to obcordate, base cuneate to attenuate, apex emarginate, mucronulate, rarely paucicrenulate; margin entire; venation klado-dromous, midrib slightly prominent above and below, other veins impressed, usually obscure; terminal leaflets (7-)13(-23) x (3-)7(-13) mm, lateral leaflets (5-)10(-16) x (3-)5(-10) mm. Panicles and flowers are similar to that of the previous species, S. longispina. Drupes also similar but slightly more compressed, 3.7 x 2.2 to 6.3 x 3.7 mm, width/thickness ratio ±1.7 compared to ±1.5 in S. longispina. (from JSTOR Global Plants website / Flora of Southern Africa) Searsia burchellii is a much-branched, evergreen shrub or small tree that grows up to 5 m high. Bark is granular, grey brownish. Leaves are small, trifoliolate, glossy, waxy, olive green and crowded at the ends of short, spur-like branchlets. Branchlets are sometimes spine-tipped. Small cream-coloured flowers are borne in loose clusters among the leaves in autumn (April–May). Male and female flowers are borne on different plants and only female plants bear fruits. Fruits are ellipsoid, thinly fleshy, green to reddish brown, drupes, somewhat compressed and flattened, 3.7 × 2.2 to 6.3 × 3.7 mm, borne in autumn and winter (May–July). (from http://pza.sanbi.org/searsia-burchellii) Evergreen, much-branched, many-stemmed shrub, up to 3.5 m high; mainly from the arid, southern parts of Namibia, particularly mountainous areas, where it occurs mainly along dry watercourses and on rocky outcrops. BARK grey-brown, granular; young branchlets covered in waxy scales, occasionally spiny (especially on older branches), with distinct lenticels. LEAVES trifoliolate, clustered, leathery, with a lacquered appearance; leaflets sessile, obtriangular to obcordate, 5-23 x 3-13 mm, sticky; lateral leaflets smaller than terminal leaflet, widest just below tip; both surfaces dark green, hairless; margin entire to crenate, undulate; apex usually distinctly notched and with a tiny bristle tip; base narrowly tapering; petiole 4-11 mm long, with a groove above. INFLORESCENCE an axillary or terminal spray. FLOWERS small, green to yellow; mostly May, but sporadically in other months. FRUIT a spherical, bilaterally flattened drupe, up to 5 mm in diameter; shiny green, becoming shiny red-brown when ripe. (from Trees and shrubs of Namibia, 2nd Ed., Mannheimer and Curtis) Evergreen shrub. BARK grey-brown, granular; young branchlets with waxy scales, with distinct lenticels. LEAVES trifoliolate, clustered, leathery, dark green with a lacquered appearance; leaflets sessile, elongate, obtriangular to obcordate; margin undulate; apex usually distinctly notched and with a tiny, bristle-like tip. FLOWERS tiny, star-like, green to yellow. FRUIT spherical, laterally flattened, up to 5 mm in diameter; shiny green, becoming shiny red-brown then dull brown when ripe. (from Tree Atlas of Namibia) |
| Link(s) |
African Plant Database
JSTOR Plant Science Kew Herbarium Catalogue BGBM Berlin-Dahlem - Virtual Herbarium Züricher Herbarien iNaturalist (Namibia / Alex Dreyer) iNaturalist (Namibia) iNaturalist (southern Africa) Flora of Zimbabwe Fleurs de notre Terre - Galerie Namibie Tree Atlas of Namibia |
| Content last updated: | 18 Apr 2024 |
