Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Common names
H. macranthum Gilg in Bot. Jahrb. 40: 496 (1908); Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 21: 428 (1925). Type: Mozambique, Rovumu River opposite Lissenga Mtn., Busse 1049 (B, holo.t; EA). H. wildemanianum Gilg in Bot. Jahrb. 40: 497 (1908); Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 21: 428 (1925). Types: Zaire, Katanga, Lukafu, Verdick 123 (Bt; BR; lecto.!; PRE, photo.); Lofoi, Verdick 130 (Bt; BR!). H. rhodesicum Dunkley in Kew Bull. 1934: 182, fig. (1934). Type: Zambia, Kafue, Martin 66 (K, nolo.!; PRE, photo.). H. abdessammadi Aschers. & Schweinf. subsp. wilÂdemanianum (Gilg) Wild in Bol. Soc. Brot. Ser. 2, 32: 57 (1958); Wild in F.Z. 1: 291 (1960).
Information
Tree, 4-10 m high; branchlets glabrous to grey-pubescent. Leaf-blade broadly elliptic, 6-8 cm long, 4—5 cm wide, apex abruptly acuminate, acute, obtuse or rounded, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin coarsely crenate-serrate; midrib and lateral nerves more prominent below, lateral nerves 6-8, Vi-angled, looping near margin, glabrous except for few hairs on midrib, sometimes with hairy tufts or pockets in axils of nerves, coriaceous; petiole 0,8-1,5 cm long, glabrous or pubescent. FlowÂers in lax, terminal panicles up to 17 cm long, flowers solitary or 2 together, sessile or subses-sile on puberulous branches of panicle. Sepals 5-7, subulate-triangular, 2,5-3 mm long, 1,75-2 mm wide, pubescent dorsally, glabrous ventrally, margins ciliate. Petals 5-7, elliptic-ovate, 3,3 mm long, 2-2,25 mm wide, pubesÂcent dorsally, glabrous ventrally, margins ciliate. Stamens in 3's opposite petals, 4 mm long, glabrous or with long hairs in lower half; anthers 0,5 mm long. Disc glands discoid, 1 mm diam., sessile, tomentulose. Ovary conical, pilose outside and inside; style 2-3 mm long with diverging branches 0,3 mm long. Fruit capsular, woody, surrounded by persistent calyx and petals. Seeds usually solitary, narÂrowly ovoid, 1 mm long; testa thin, brown.
Habitat
Readily distinguished from H. dentatum and H. rufes-cens by the stamens, which are in 3's instead of solitary. A gradation in degree of pubescence can be traced from a completely glabrous to a densely pubescent condition. For this reason, subsp. wildemanianum is here not accepted as a distinct taxon.
Use
3. Homalium abdessammadii Aschers. & Schweinf. in Sber. Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berl. 1880: 130 (1880); Gilg in Bot. Jahrb. 40: 494 (1908); Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 21: 428 (1925); Engl., Pflanzenw. Afr. 3, 2: 581 (1921); Fer-nandes & Diniz in Garcia de Orta 5, 2: 252 (1957); Wild in F.Z. 1: 291 (1960); F. White, For. Fl. N. Rhod. 265 (1962); Sleumer in Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 43: 311 (1973). Type: Sudan, "bei Nganye", Schweinfurth 3954 (B, holo.t; K!; L!; P!; PRE, photo.).
Range
Found on riverbanks in tropical Africa, where it is fairly widespread, and in the Eastern Caprivi Strip of South West Africa.