Diospyros natalensis Harv. Brenan [family EBENACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Zambesiaca
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
FZ, Vol 7, Part 1, page 248, (1983) Author: F. White
Names
Diospyros natalensis subsp. nummularia Brenan F. White ex auct. [family EBENACEAE], ; Palmer & Pitman, loc. cit. — Wild, Biegel & Mavi, Rhod. Bot. Diet., ed. 2: 151 (1972). — K. Coates Palgrave, tom. cit., t. 246 nom. illegit. (sine relat. nom.).
Diospyros natalensis Harv. Brenan [family EBENACEAE], in Mem. N.Y. Bot. Gard. 8: 501 (1954). — F. White, F.F.N.R.:324,t .58 fig. A (1962). — de Winter in F.S.A. 26: 58, t. 9 fig. 1(1963). — Palmer & Pitman, Trees of Southern Afr.3: 1789 cum tab. & photogr. (1972). — Drummond in Kirkia, 10: 267 (1975). — K. Coates Palgrave, Trees of Southern Afr. : 748 (1977). TAB. 55, fig. B. Type from South Africa.
Maba natalensis Harv. [family EBENACEAE], Thes. Cap. 2: 7, t. 110 (1863). — Hiern in Trans. Camb. Phil. Soc. 12:131 (1873). — Sim, For. Fl. Port. E. Afr. : 82 (1909). — S. Moore in Journ. Linn, Soc. Bot. 40:134 (1911). Type as above.
Maba dawei Hutch. [family EBENACEAE], in Kew Bull. 1921: 330 (1912). Type: Mozambique, Chimoio, Garuso, male fl. i.1912, Dawe 524 (K, holotype).
Diospyros dawei Hutch Brenan [family EBENACEAE], in Kew Bull. 1948: 111 (1948), syn. nov. Type as above.
Diospyros nummularia Brenan [family EBENACEAE], loc. cit. — K. & O. Coates Palgrave, Trees of Central Afr. : 165 cum tab. et photgr. (1957). — F. White, F.F.N.R.: 326, t. 58 fig. b (1962). — de Winter in tom. cit.: 60 (1963). Types: Zimbabwe, Salisbury, 1370 m., fr. iv.1922, Eyles 3414 (K, holotype). 11 paratypes, all from Zimbabwe, are also cited in the protologue.
Diospyros nyasae Brenan [family EBENACEAE], in Mem. N.Y. Bot. Gard. 8: 500 (1954), syn. nov. Types; Malawi, without precise locality, male, female fl. fr. 1891, Buchanan 957 (K, holotype); id., male fl., 1891, Buchanan 977 (K, paratype); Mt, Mulanje, Likabula Gorge, 840 m., fr. 20.vi.1946, Brass 16385 (K, paratype; MO).
Information
Much–branched evergreen shrub or small tree up to 25 m. high. Young shoots and inflorescences protected by (4) 6–8 bud–scales. Leaves subcoriaceous, drying pale brown above; lamina 1·3 x 0·6–3·6 x 2 cm., very variable, suborbicular, elliptic, lanceolate–elliptic, ovate–elliptic or ovate, apex obtuse or subacute; lower surface glabrous, but margin with a few ciliolate hairs; secondary nerves in 3–5 pairs, darker than the lamina, tertiary nerves and veins indistinct. Male flowers solitary or in 2–4–flowered cymes in axils of leaves or of fallen leaves on second–year branchlets; pedicels c. 0·1 cm. long, almost glabrous. Calyx truncate or denticulate, 0·2–0·3 cm. long, usually glabrous except for the sparsely ciliate margin. Corolla 0–5 cm. long, widely open at the throat, shortly strigulose — tomentellous outside except near the base, glabrous inside; lobes 3, broadly deltate, 0·25 cm. long. Stamens c. 16, exserted, 0·2–0·3 cm. long; filaments very short, glabrous, inserted at base of corolla–tube; anthers lanceolate, apiculate, glabrous. Pistillode absent. Female flowers solitary, similar to male. Staminodes 9, inserted half–way up the corolla–tube, 3 alternating with the lobes and 2 opposite each lobe, 0·15 cm. long, glabrous. Ovary 0 .3 x 0·25 cm., ovoid–conoidal, glabrous; locules 3, 2–ovulate; styles 3, 0·15 crn. long, united in lower half, bifid at apex. Fruit 0·8 x 0·45 cm., obovoid–ellipsoid or ellipsoid, apiculate, surrounded at the base by the slightly accrescent calyx and looking like an acorn in its cupule. Seed 1, 0·7 x 0·3 x 0·3 cm., sub–ellipsoid. Chromosome number: 2n = 30.
Habitat
In evergreen and semi–evergreen forest, bushland and thicket, and on rocky outcrops.
Range
Extending northwards to Zaire (Upper Shaba), Uganda and Kenya, and southwards to the eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Altitude range
From near sea-level to 1600 m.
1600
0
Distribution
Mozambique M Namaacha Falls, fr. 22.ii.1955, E. M. & W. 542 (BM; LISC; SRGH).Mozambique GI Gaza, Bilene, Praia de S. Martinho, male fl. 7.xi.1969, Correia & Marques 1451 (BM; LISC; SRGH).Mozambique MS Cheringoma Distr., Chiniziua, fr. 12. iv.1957, Gomes eSousa 4352 (COI; EA; FHO; K; PRE; SRGH).Mozambique T Chicoa, serra de Songo, 900 m., fr. 31.xii.1965, Torre Csf Correia 13945 (C; COI; FHO; K; LISC; LMU).Malawi S Mt. Mulanje, Lukulezi, Ngono R., fr. 15.x.1957, Chapman 471 (BR; FHO; K).Zimbabwe S near Tokwe Dam, White 10109, st. 4.ii.1973, (FHO).Zimbabwe E Umtali Distr., Mandini Mt., 25 km. S of Umtali, male fl. 19.vi.1960, Chase 7352 (BM; FHO; K; SRGH).Zimbabwe C Salisbury Distr., Goromonzi femalefl. 1. i.1927, Eyles 4601 (K; SRGH).Zambia E Petauke Distr., Chipata to Lusaka 130 km., st. 24.v.1952, White 2880 (BR; FHO; K); Chadiza, Chapiri Hill, 900 m., fi. 29.xi.1958, Robson 786 (FHO; K).Zambia C Luangwa Valley, Kapampa R., foot of escarpment, 765 m., st. 19.i.1966, Astle 4460 (SRGH).Mozambique Z serra de Morrumbala, 700 m., male n. 9.xii.1971, Mutter & Pope 1982 (FHO; LISC; SRGH).Malawi C Chongoni Forest, Cibenthu Hill, fr. 25.ix.1960, Chapman 926 (FHO; K; PRE; SRGH).Zimbabwe N Sipolilo, Nyamnyetsi Estate, st. 9.v.1978, Nyariri 102 (SRGH).Zambia N Mporokoso Distr., L. Mweru, Chienge, fr.18.viii.1958, Fanshawe 4728 (FHO; K).
Distribution (external)
Madagascar
Notes
D. ferrea and D. natalensis are possibly the two most variable species of Diospyros on the African mainland. Although their overall ranges overlap in East Africa, they never seem to occur in close proximity and there is no difficulty in distinguishing them. By contrast, in Madagascar, where D. natalensis is excessively variable, some of the specific differences appear to break down. Experiments have shown (White, unpublished) that leaf–shape and –size remain constant in cultivation. Nevertheless the overall pattern of variation is too complicated (tab. 55 fig. B) to justify the recognition of segregate species nor of infra–specific taxa. Some variants appear to have arisen polytopically in response to specialized local conditions, e.g. the narrow–leaved rheophytes (plants of stream banks which are frequently submerged by rapidly flowing floodwater). The latter, which occur in Upper Shaba, on Mt. Mulanje (Brass 16385) and at the base of the Chimanimani Mts. in Mozambique (Müller & Pope 2115), are quite different from other populations of D. natalensis growing nearby, but are connected to them by intermediates growing in the same general area.
╳
We're sorry. You don't appear to have permission to access the item.
Full access to these resources typically requires affiliation with a partnering organization. (For example, researchers are often granted access through their affiliation with a university library.)
If you have an institutional affiliation that provides you access, try logging in via your institution
Have access with an individual account? Login here
If you would like to learn more about access options or believe you received this message in error, please contact us.