| Synonyms: |
Clutia glabrescens Knauf ex Pax |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Shrub or rarely a small tree, up to c. 4 m. Leaves ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, up to 16 cm long, fairly thinly textured, light green above, somewhat blue-green below, mostly hairless (in var. abyssinica), some orange-red leaves often present; margin entire. Flowers in axillary clusters, small, yellowish to greenish, unisexual on different trees. Fruit c. 5 mm in diameter, almost round, almost hairless, pale green with whitish pustules. This variety has hairless or almost hairless stems and leaves. |
| Type location: |
Ethiopia |
| Notes: | See var. pedicellaris for comparison. |
| Derivation of specific name: | abyssinica: of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) |
| Habitat: | In clearings and along margins of evergreen forest, riverine forest and high rainfall woodland. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 300 - 2300 m |
| Flowering time: | Mar - Jul |
| Worldwide distribution: | Sudan and Somalia southwards to Angola and South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). |
| FZ divisions: | N,W,C,E |
| Zambian distribution (Provinces): | Nw,N,Mc,C |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Wednesday 11 July 2012 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 144. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 434. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 14. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 28. As Clutia abbyssinica Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 252. As Clutia abyssinica Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 41. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 185. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 125 - 127. (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 85. Troupin, G. (1983). Euphorbiaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume II Page 212. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 97. |