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Diospyros chamaethamnus Dinter ex Mildbr. [family EBENACEAE]

Date Updated: 26 July 2007

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 chamaethamnus Dinter ex Mildbr. [family EBENACEAE], in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berl. 15: 757 (1942). — F. White, F.F.N.R.: 330, t. 58, fig. j (1962). — de Winter in F.S.A. 26: 60 (1963). — de Winter & P. White, Prod. Fl. SW. Afr.107: 2, 3 (1967). TAB. 62, fig. E. Type from Namibia.
Information
Rhizomatous suffrutex forming extensive colonies up to several metres across. Stems usually unbranched and less than 30 cm. high, but in the absence of fire up to 45 cm. high and sometimes sparsely branched. Leaves similar to those of D. batocana but often much smaller. Flowers subsessile, usually in clusters of 1–7 in the axils of leaves or reduced scale leaves, or, on second–year shoots, in the axils of fallen leaves, similar in structure to those of D. batocana but much larger and of different proportions, and the female flowers with conspicuous bracts. Male flowers. Calyx 1·3 cm. long, fulvous–tomentose, lobes c. 0·6–0·7 cm. long. Corolla c. 1·6 cm. long, lobes 0·8 x 0·6 cm. Female flowers with several conspicuous bracts at the base up to 0·6 cm. long. Calyx 1–1·5 cm. long, fulvous–tomentose; lobes 0–5–0–8 cm. long. Corolla 1·8 cm. long, lobes 0·7 cm. long. Fruit subglobose, c. 3·5 x 3·5 cm., fulvous–tomentose, at least when young. Seeds 6, mature seeds unknown.
Habitat
In sparse grassland with suffrutices at the edges of dambos and in various types in woodland.
Range
Apparently confined to Kalahari Sand
Altitude range
900–1000 m. 1000 900
Distribution
Zambia B Sesheke Distr., Masese female fl. 20.vi.1960, Fanshawe 5760 (BR; FHO; K).Botswana N 29 km. S. of Khardoum Valley, fl. buds 14.iii.1965, Wild & Drummond 7029 (FHO; LISC; SRGH).
Distribution (external)
Namibia Angola
Notes
The fruit, although insipid, is an important item in the diet of certain tribes of bushmen (R. B. Lee, “Subsistence ecology of Kung bushmen”, 1965; B. Magiiire, unpublished thesis, University ofWitwatersrand, 1978). D. chamaethamnus is very closely related to D. batocana. Their geographical ranges overlap slightly, but that of D. chamaethamnus extends much further south. Throughout its range D. chamaethamnus consistently differs from D. batocana in the size and proportions of its flowers and the colour of the indumentum on the flowers and fruit. It seems, however, that D. batocana very locally produces a dwarf shrubby variant which can be confused with D. chamaethamnus. Thus, Mutimushi 3541 (K) from Dambwa Forest Reserve, Livingstone Distr., Zambia, was collected from a 0–6 m. high plant forming small colonies at the margin of a dambo on Kalahari Sand. Although in habit it is closer to D. chamaethamnus, the blackish indumentum, small inconspicuous bracteoles and small shallowly lobed fruiting calyx clearly indicate a close relationship with D. batocana.

Date Updated: 26 July 2007

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 chamaethamnus Dinter ex Mildbr. [family EBENACEAE], in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berl. 15: 757 (1942). — F. White, F.F.N.R.: 330, t. 58, fig. j (1962). — de Winter in F.S.A. 26: 60 (1963). — de Winter & P. White, Prod. Fl. SW. Afr.107: 2, 3 (1967). TAB. 62, fig. E. Type from Namibia.
Information
Rhizomatous suffrutex forming extensive colonies up to several metres across. Stems usually unbranched and less than 30 cm. high, but in the absence of fire up to 45 cm. high and sometimes sparsely branched. Leaves similar to those of D. batocana but often much smaller. Flowers subsessile, usually in clusters of 1–7 in the axils of leaves or reduced scale leaves, or, on second–year shoots, in the axils of fallen leaves, similar in structure to those of D. batocana but much larger and of different proportions, and the female flowers with conspicuous bracts. Male flowers. Calyx 1·3 cm. long, fulvous–tomentose, lobes c. 0·6–0·7 cm. long. Corolla c. 1·6 cm. long, lobes 0·8 x 0·6 cm. Female flowers with several conspicuous bracts at the base up to 0·6 cm. long. Calyx 1–1·5 cm. long, fulvous–tomentose; lobes 0–5–0–8 cm. long. Corolla 1·8 cm. long, lobes 0·7 cm. long. Fruit subglobose, c. 3·5 x 3·5 cm., fulvous–tomentose, at least when young. Seeds 6, mature seeds unknown.
Habitat
In sparse grassland with suffrutices at the edges of dambos and in various types in woodland.
Range
Apparently confined to Kalahari Sand
Altitude range
900–1000 m. 1000 900
Distribution
Zambia B Sesheke Distr., Masese female fl. 20.vi.1960, Fanshawe 5760 (BR; FHO; K).Botswana N 29 km. S. of Khardoum Valley, fl. buds 14.iii.1965, Wild & Drummond 7029 (FHO; LISC; SRGH).
Distribution (external)
Namibia Angola
Notes
The fruit, although insipid, is an important item in the diet of certain tribes of bushmen (R. B. Lee, “Subsistence ecology of Kung bushmen”, 1965; B. Magiiire, unpublished thesis, University ofWitwatersrand, 1978). D. chamaethamnus is very closely related to D. batocana. Their geographical ranges overlap slightly, but that of D. chamaethamnus extends much further south. Throughout its range D. chamaethamnus consistently differs from D. batocana in the size and proportions of its flowers and the colour of the indumentum on the flowers and fruit. It seems, however, that D. batocana very locally produces a dwarf shrubby variant which can be confused with D. chamaethamnus. Thus, Mutimushi 3541 (K) from Dambwa Forest Reserve, Livingstone Distr., Zambia, was collected from a 0–6 m. high plant forming small colonies at the margin of a dambo on Kalahari Sand. Although in habit it is closer to D. chamaethamnus, the blackish indumentum, small inconspicuous bracteoles and small shallowly lobed fruiting calyx clearly indicate a close relationship with D. batocana.
Diospyros chamaethamnus Dinter ex Mildbr. [family EBENACEAE]
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