Searsia chirindensis (Baker F.) Moffett

Species

Angiosperms > Sapindales > Anacardiaceae > Searsia

Characteristics

Shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall; branches dull brown or blackish (when dried), cylindric, pubescent or glabrous. Petiole 1.5-6.5 cm long, almost cylindric, narrowly canaliculate and marginate above, pubescent or glabrous. Leaflets ± dull red-brown, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate (acumen flat or sometimes falcate, very acute, apiculate), entire and ± undulate at the margin, membranous to ± rigid or subcoriaceous, glabrous or ± pubescent on the margin, midrib and nerves; median leaflet (3)6-13(16) x (1.2)2.5-4(7) cm, cuneate and frequently petiolulate at the base, the lateral ones (2)2.5-7(12) x (0-8)1.3-3.5(5.5) cm, asymmetric and slightly cuneate or somewhat rounded at the base, very shortly petiolulate to sessile; midrib slightly raised in the upper surface, very prominent below; lateral nerves arcuate, slender, raised on both sides, reticulation lax, almost invisible or sometimes conspicuous. Panicles terminal and axillary, ample, pyramidal, much branched, multiflorous, the terminal ones longer than the leaves, the axillary ones as long as the latter or somewhat longer; pedicels 1-2.5 mm long. [Male] flowers: calyx-segments 0.5 mm long, ovate, obtuse, glabrous; petals c. 1.5 mm long, elliptic, obtuse; filaments c. 1 mm long. [Female] flowers: ovary ovoid; styles reflexed; disk cupuliform, 5-lobulate; staminodes present. Drupe pinkish-yellow to reddish-brown, shining, (4)5(6) mm in diam., globose, glabrous.
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A shrub or small to sometimes large single-stemmed semi-evergreen tree reaching 23 m in South Africa. Bark smooth, older branches often spinous. Leaves trifoliolate; petiole glabrous, rarely pubescent, shallowly canaliculate above, (8-)41(-91) mm long; leaflets petiolulate, membranous, glabrous, concolorous, dark green sometimes turning red before felling, hypostomatous; lamina ovate to ovate-lanceolate, base cuneate to attenuate, apex acuminate, rarely cirrhose; margin entire, undulate, often minutely serrulate; venation simple craspedodromous, midrib prominent below, impressed above, secondaries slightly prominent below; terminal leaflets (30-)85(-130) x (13-)28(-54) mm, lateral leaflets (11-)55(-103) x (6-)22(-46) mm. Panicles much branched, multiflorous, males chiefly terminal, up to 200 mm long, females shorter, chiefly axillary. Flowers normal. Drupe circular, globoid, shiny, dark reddish brown, 2.9 x 2.8 to 7.0 x 6.3 mm.
Tree or shrub, 1-23 m high; single stemmed, evergreen, bark smooth, brown, older branches often spinous. Leaves petiolate, trifoliolate; leaflets petiolulate, membranous, glabrous, dark green turning red when falling, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, margins entire, undulate, often minutely serrulate. Inflorescence much-branched panicles; males mainly terminal, 200 mm long; females mainly axillary, shorter. Flowers minute, yellowish green. Flowering time all year. Fruit a drupe, globoid, shiny, dark reddish brown.
A shrub. It grows 7 m high. The branches are often hanging. The leaf stalks are slender. They are 8 cm long. The leaflets have short stalks. They are oval and narrow to the tip. The edge is often wavy. They are 10 cm long by 4 cm wide. The flowers are at the ends of branches. They are in open branched groups. The fruit are round and 4 mm across. They are shiny red.
Shrub, or tree up to 23 m high. Leaflets petiolulate; lamina ovate to ovate-lanceolate, base cuneate to attenuate, apex acuminate; terminal leaflet (30-)85(-130) x (13-)28(-54) mm. Panicles much-branched, multiflorous. Flowers yellow.
Dioecious, deciduous shrub or tree to 23 m. Leaves trifoliolate, leaflets stalked, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, weakly undulate. Flowers pale green. Drupes round, shiny.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 5.0 - 7.0
Root system -
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Flower color
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Fruit color
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a subtropical and tropical plant. Young plants need protection from frost. It is best in well drained soil. It is tolerant to drought. It can grow in arid places. It often grows in open woodland and on rocky hillsides.
Light -
Soil humidity 1-3
Soil texture 4-8
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

The ripe fruit is eaten.
Uses food medicinal
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

It can be grown from fresh seeds. It can also be grown from large sections of branches. Sections 10 cm across and 2 m long are suitable.
Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
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Optimum temperature (C°) -
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Vigor -
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Images

Searsia chirindensis unspecified picture
Searsia chirindensis unspecified picture

Distribution

Searsia chirindensis world distribution map, present in Mozambique, eSwatini, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Searsia chirindensis threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77088408-1
WFO ID wfo-0000510224
COL ID 6XZPG
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Searsia chirindensis Searsia legatii Rhus chirindensis Rhus legatii Rhus chirendensis