Ochna inermis (Forssk.) Schweinf.

Species

Angiosperms > Malpighiales > Ochnaceae > Ochna

Characteristics

Deciduous shrub or small tree 1–4.5(–6) m tall with smooth whitish or dark grey bark, extensively branched, the young branches brown or blackish purple at first, later becoming whitish, lenticellate.. Leaves reddish or bronze when young, fairly thin to subcoriaceous, elliptic, obovate, oblong or ± round, (1.4–)1.7–4.8(–7.5)(–15 fide Vollesen) cm long, 0.9–2.8(–3)(–7.5 fide Vollesen) cm wide, rounded or obtuse at the apex (rarely ± acute), cuneate to truncate or subcordate at the base, margins sharply curved-serrate; lateral veins together with dense reticulate tertiary venation prominent on both surfaces; petiole 1–2.5(–4) mm long; stipules linear-lanceolate, ± 5 mm long, fimbriate at apex.. Flowers precocious or with very young leaves, 1(–2) (rarely 4), on short node-like shoots often closely placed on branchlets; pedicels (0.5–)1.3–3 cm long, jointed (0.5–)1–3(–4) mm from the base; young buds depressed globose, 2–3 mm diameter.. Sepals green or orange, elliptic, 5–6 mm long, 4 mm wide, rounded, becoming crimson-red in fruit and enlarging to 8–16 mm long, 7–8 mm wide, convex, usually remaining imbricate around the fruit.. Petals bright yellow, obovate or round, 7–11 mm long, 4.5–6 mm wide.. Anthers orange-yellow, 1–1.5 mm long, 1/2–1/3 as long as the filaments, dehiscing by apical pores.. Carpels 5; styles united almost to apex, recurved at tips.. Drupelets black, ellipsoid, 7–10 mm long, 5–7 mm diameter.
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Spreading shrubs 1-2 m tall, rarely arborescent. Stems smooth, dark grey, with pale reddish wood; side branches lenticellate, numerous, short, bearing spurs which produce leaves and flowers. Leaves deciduous, being shed just before flowers appear (soon wilting after being picked), elliptic, 2-4 cm long and 1-1.5 cm broad, apex obtuse to acute, base acute or rounded, margin shallowly serrulate, the teeth mucronulate, shiny, distinctly reticulate; petiole 2 mm; stipules intrapetiolar, fused, bifid with apices filiform. Flowers sweet scented, solitary or rarely 2 close together, on short spurs; pedicels filiform, 1-1.5 cm long at anthesis, firm, wiry and up to 2 cm, red and recurved in fruit, articulated in lower quarter. Sepals ovate, convex, c. 5 mm long, green at anthesis, becoming c. 16 mm long and red in fruit, at first enclosing young drupelets, spreading when ripe. Petals yellow, orbicular, clawed, about 8 mm. Stamens c. 50, with filaments 3 mm long; anthers biporose, 1.5 mm long. Carpels 5, attached basally to receptacle; styles fused, slender, apices free, recurved, filiform with small discoid stigmas. Drupelets oblong-globose, 1 cm long, black. Flowering in spring.
Spreading shrub, 1-2 m high. Flowers solitary, pedicels recurved, 20-30 mm long, articulated below centre with upper part often forming an angle with lower part. Sepals 10-15 mm long in fruit. Flowers yellow.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.0 - 2.0
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Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture 5-6
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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

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Images

Ochna inermis unspecified picture

Distribution

Ochna inermis world distribution map, present in Botswana, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, Yemen, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:606649-1
WFO ID wfo-0001087131
COL ID 74F2B
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ochna rivae Euonymus inermis Heteroporidium abyssinicum Diporidium inerme Diporidium schimperi Ochna inermis Ochna parvifolia Diporidium parvifolium