Ochna schweinfurthiana F.Hoffm.

Species

Angiosperms > Malpighiales > Ochnaceae > Ochna

Characteristics

Shrub or small tree 2–7(–9) m tall with ± thick dark grey corrugated or reticulately fissured corky bark; slash raw meat coloured; branches mostly not lenticellate, with white or pale yellowish brown bark peeling off in papery strips.. Leaves ± coriaceous, obovate-oblanceolate to oblong, 5.5–13.5(–17.5) cm long, (1.3–)1.7–6.5 cm wide, broadly to narrowly rounded at the apex, narrowly cuneate at the base, the margin densely curved-serrulate; lateral veins ± 20, widely spreading, more prominent above than beneath; finely reticulate tertiary venation prominent on both surfaces or less so beneath; petiole (3–)5–12 mm long, thick and flattened above.. Flowers precocious, 4–10 in racemiform clusters with rhachis up to 8 mm long or pseudoumbellate; pedicels (1–)1.5–3.5(–4.2) cm long, jointed almost at the base.. Sepals obovate-elliptic, 4–6 cm long, 3–4.5 wide, rounded, becoming orange-red to deep red in fruit, 10–15 mm long, 6–8 mm wide.. Petals bright yellow, obovate to obovate-oblong, 5.5–10 mm long, 4–5.5 mm wide.. Anthers 1–2 mm long, about 2/3 the length of the filaments, dehiscing by longitudinal slits.. Carpels usually 5; styles completely united; stigma globose or slightly bilobed.. Drupelets black, subglobose, 7–9(–10) mm long, 6–7(–10) mm wide, inserted near the base.
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Leaves petiolate, not usually glaucous; lamina 5·5–13·5 (17·5) × (1·3) 1·7–5·5 (6·5) cm., obovate or oblanceolate to oblong or (more rarely) elliptic, rounded to obtuse or obtusely apiculate at the apex, with margin densely curved-serrulate, narrowly cuneate or attenuate and flat or incurved at the base, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, with widely spreading lateral nerves and densely reticulate tertiary venation prominent above (with main laterals slightly more prominent than subsidiaries) and almost smooth below; petiole (3) 5–12 mm. long, stout, flattened above.
A small tree. It grows 3-7 m high. The bark is dark grey and thick. It is cracked. It separates into square segments. The leaves are oval and 5-13.5 cm long by 1.7-5.5 cm wide. The are olive green with net veins. The leaf tapers to the leaf stalk. The flowers are bright yellow. They are 1.5 cm across. They are sweetly scented. They appear in dense groups of 4-10 flowers on a short central stalk. The fruit usually have 2-4 separate carpels each oval and 9 mm long by 7 mm wide. These are black when mature.
Shrub or small tree 2–7 (9) m. high, with bark dark grey, reticulately fissured; branches usually not lenticellate, white or pale yellow-brown at first, with bark exfoliating in thin papery strips.
Flowers 4–10, in a condensed raceme with rhachis up to 8 mm. long, or pseudumbellate, sweetly scented; pedicels (1) 1·5–3·5 (4·2) cm. long in fruit, articulated within 1 mm. of the base.
Sepals 4–6 mm. long in flower, obovate-elliptic, rounded, becoming flat, orange-red to deep red, 10–15 mm. long and spreading in fruit.
Petals bright yellow, 5·5–10 × 4–5·5 mm., obovate to obovate-oblong, narrowed towards the base but scarcely unguiculate.
Stamens with anthers 1–2 mm. long, about 2/3 as long as the filaments, straight, dehiscing by longitudinal slits.
Drupelets 7–9 x 6–7 mm., flattened-subglobose, inserted at the base; embryo straight.
Carpels 5, with styles completely united; stigma globose or slightly 5-lobed.
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Growth form tree
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 2.5 - 7.0
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Environment

A tropical plant. It grows over a range of altitudes in open deciduous woodland. It grows in stony soils between 750-1,675 m above sea level.
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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses environmental use food gene source material medicinal social use
Edible fruits
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Cultivation

Plants can be grown from fresh seeds.
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Distribution

Ochna schweinfurthiana world distribution map, present in Angola, Burundi, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Ochna schweinfurthiana threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:606774-1
WFO ID wfo-0000390032
COL ID 6SF24
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ochna schweinfurthiana Ochnella schweinfurthiana Ochnella alba Diporidium schweinfurthianum Ochna alba Ochnella axillaris Ochnella aurea Ochna suberosa