Botanical name |
Combretum zeyheri (SA No 546) |
Other names |
Large-fruited bushwillow; raasblaar (Afrikaans) |
Family |
Combretaceae |
Dimensions |
Medium-sized semi-deciduous tree of up to 10 m |
Description of stem |
Branched and often twisted trunks; the bark light grey, smooth to fissured in patches, sometimes flaking; small twigs reddish and drooping |
Description of leaves |
Elliptic to obovate, simple, clustered at branch ends; hairy only when young; typically large, bigger than many of the other combretums, about 8 cm in length and 4 cm wide; margins entire; net-veining visible on both surfaces; apex variable, sometimes tapering to a point, sometimes rounded |
Description of flowers |
Axillary spikes of yellow-green flowers, usually about 5 cm long, but variable; anthers orange; appear in attractive clusters in spring before the leaves; sweet-scented |
Desciption of seed/fruit |
Large orange-brown, four-winged fruit, 8 cm in diameter; the conspicuous seeds serve as a key to identification |
Description of roots |
Some roots close to the surface are dug up for use; the roots are fibrous, used for basket weaving by some of the region's indigenous people |
Variation |
|
Propagation and cultivation |
Plant in well-drained sandy loam soil; grows from seed or truncheons |
Tolerances |
Grows in a variety of soil types; not likely to perform well in cold climates |
Uses |
Planted in big gardens and parks; roots used for basket weaving and to make necklaces for young girls; medicinally used to treat coughs and stomach pains |
Ecological rarity |
Not threatened |
Pests and diseases |
|
Other |
The Afrikaans name 'raasblaar' = noisy leaf (the seeds and leaves rustle in the wind); Carl Zeyher was a noted German naturalist (1799 - 1858) |
Location |
Summer rainfall areas, particularly bushveld, woodland, rocky slopes and riverine woodland; often in acidic, sandy soil |
Distribution (SA provinces) |
Mpumalanga; Limpopo; Gauteng; North West |
Country |
South Africa; Botswana; Zimbabwe; Zambia; Namibia; Swaziland; Mozambique and countries in tropical Africa |