Compilation
Trimeria grandifolia

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Name

Identification
Trimeria grandifolia (Hochst.) Warb. [family FLACOURTIACEAE ]
Related name
  • Trimeria grandifolia

Flora

Entry for Trimeria grandifolia [family SALICACEAE]
Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Trimeria grandifolia [family SALICACEAE]
Common names
Monospora grandifolia Hochst. in Flora 24: 661 (1841). Type as above. M. rotundifolia Hochst., I.e. Type: Cape, Outeniqua and Goukamma River, Krauss s.n. Antidesma alnifolium Hook., Icon. PI. t.481 (1842). Syntypes: Eastern Cape, Bowie s.n. (K!; PRE, photo.); Natal, "Port Natal", Krauss 160 (G!; K!; PRE, photo.). Renardia lejocarpa Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 31, 1: 466 (1858). Type: without precise locality, Ecklon s.n. Trimeria alnifolia (Hook.) Harv. in F.C. 1: 69 (1860); Sim, For. Fl. Cape Col. 132 (1907). T. rotundifolia (Hochst.) Gilg in Pflanzenw. Afr. 3, 2: 582 (1921); Milne-Redh. in Kew Bull. 1939: 34 (1939); Wild in F.Z. 1: 296 (1960).
Information
Tree, 3-10 m high. Bark light brown, smooth or longitudinally fissured. Branchlets glabrous or pubescent. Leaf-blade circular or broadly obovate, 4—11 cm wide, apex rounded, emarginate, bilobed or apiculate, base truncate or shallowly cordate, margin serrate, digitately 5-7-nerved, nerves prominent below, glabres-cent with hairs often persisting on nerves, subcoriaceous; petiole 1-3 cm long, glabrous or pubescent; stipules foliaceous, reniform, 1,2-2 cm long, 1-2,5 cm wide, caducous, pubescent. Inflorescence axillary, branches densely pubes­cent; pedicels up to 2,5 mm long, pubescent, jointed; bracts deltoid, 1 mm long. Male inflorescences in panicles, up to 9 cm long; female inflorescences spicate, but sometimes branched, up to 8 cm long. Male flowers: Sepals 4 or 5, concave, subulate, 1-1,2 mm long, 0,5 mm wide, pubescent. Petals 4 or 5, concave, obovate-deltoid, 1,1-1,3 mm long, 0,6-0,8 mm wide, pubescent. Disc of marginal, fleshy, undulate glands opposite
Habitat
Characterized by the large, usually circular, digitately 5—7-nerved leaves and 4-merous petals and sepals. Accord­ing to a note on West 1140 the plant can behave as a liane. T. grandifolia is known to the Europeans as the Wild Mulberry or Wilde Moerbei and to the Zulus as iNde-blehlovu (ears of an elephant). According to Sim (I.e. 132), the tree is usually evergreen, but occasionally deciduous. He also states that the tree can attain a height of 16 metres in eastern Pondoland and Natal—rather higher than the heights recorded by collectors of the species. Wild & Vidigal, I.e., incorrectly attribute the combination T. grandifolia to Durand & Schinz.
Use
2. Trimeria grandifolia (Hochst.) Warb. in Pflanzenfam. 3, 6a: 37, f. 13 H-J (1893); Dur. & Schinz, Consp. Fl. Afr. 1: 225 (1898); Burtt Davy, Fl. Transv. 1: 219 (1926); Henkel, Woody PI. Natal 115 (1934); Killick in Bothalia 10: 568 (1972); Wild & Vidigal in Fl. Mocamb. Flacourt. 38 (1973). Type: Natal, "Port Natal", Krauss s.n. (B, holo.f; M, iso.!).
Range
A small tree found in forest from Knysna in the Cape eastwards to Natal and northwards to the Transvaal, Swaziland and Rhodesia.

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