Searsia lancea (L.F.) F.A.Barkley

Species

Angiosperms > Sapindales > Anacardiaceae > Searsia

Characteristics

Large semi-evergreen shrub or spreading tree, usually 6-8 m high, rarely up to 12 m. Bark rough, irregularly fissured, dark brown to blackish; branches and branchlets reddish, pendulous. Leaves trifoliolate, petiolate; petiole semiterete, slightly canaliculate above, (9-)20(-31) mm long; leaflets sessile, subcoriaceous, glabrous, somewhat glutinous, discolorous, dark olive-green above, pale yellowish green below, hypostomatous; lamina linear to lanceolate, base narrowly cuneate, apex subacute, mucronulate; margin entire, slightly thickened, venation semi-craspedodromous, midrib and other veins prominent above, midrib only prominent below; terminal leaflets (24-)70(-120) x (4-)8(-12) mm, lateral leaflets (14-)55(-100) x (3-)7(-11) mm. Panicles lax, much branched, flowers crowded, axillary and terminal, latter up to 90 mm long, mostly within foliage. Flowers with corolla lobes narrower than usual, oblong, 1.5 mm x 0.5 mm, styles widely separate, recurved, persistent. Drupe oblate, ellipsoid, glabrous, shiny, dull yellow to brown, 5.5 x 4.0-6.5 x 4.3 mm.
More
An shrub or evergreen tree. The branches droop. The crown is rounded. It can be 9 m high but also a shrubby bush. It is erect and has a single stem. It has a twisted dark brown trunk. The branches are slender and reddish. The leaves have 3 long narrow pointed leaflets. The leaflets are dark green and shiny above and pale below. They are narrowly sword shaped. They narrow to both ends. They are 6-13 cm long and the central leaflet is the largest. The midrib is raised on both sides. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. The flowers are very small and pale green. They occur in loose, much-branched sprays. They can be in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. The fruit is round and slightly flattened and lopsided. They are 4-5 mm across. They are green but turn yellowish-brown when ripe. It has a large seed. There is a thin layer of flesh. The outer skin is shiny brown. The fruit are edible.
Tree or shrub, 1-12 m high; semi-evergreen; bark dark brown to blackish, rough, irregularly fissured; branches and branchlets reddish, pendulous. Leaves petiolate, trifoliolate; leaflets sessile, subcoriaceous, glabrous, often glutinous, dark olive-green above, pale yellowish green below, narrowly lanceolate, margins entire, slightly thickened. Inflorescence axillary and terminal panicles, lax, much branched; flowers crowded. Flowers small, pale greenish yellow, sweetly scented; corolla lobes oblong; styles widely separated, recurved, persistent. Flowering time Apr.-Sept. Fruit a drupe, oblate, ellipsoid, glabrous, shiny, dull yellow to brown, sometimes sticky.
Quite glabrous; leaves on long petioles; leaflets sessile, lanceolate-linear, acuminate, mucronate, quiteentire, paler and parallel-veined beneath; panicles axillary, shorter thanthe leaves; drupe lentiform, glabrous. A little tree with the habit of a Willow. Bark grey and smooth. Wood reddish-brown, hard and very tough. Branches virgate. Petioles terete, furrowed above, 1-2 inches long. Leaflets 4-5 inches long, 4-6 lines wide or smaller, sessile or the intermediate one shortly petiolulate. Panicles glabrous, 1-2 uncial, of the length of the leaves or shorter; pedicels capillary. Flowers very minute. Drupe rather dry, size of a pea.
Shrub or spreading tree, up to 12 m high. Bark very dark reddish brown when old, fissured. Leaflets sessile; blade linear to narrowly ovate, margins entire, venation prominently penni-parallel; terminal leaflet generally > 8 x longer than broad, (24-)70(-120) mm long. Flowers: corolla pale greenish yellow; May-Jul. Fruit an ellipsoid, glabrous drupe.
Dioecious, semi-evergreen, large shrub or tree, up to 12 m tall, with dark fissured bark. Leaves trifoliolate, leaflets sessile, linear to lanceolate, dark olive-green above, pale yellowish green below, ± glutinous. Flowers greenish yellow. Drupe round, shiny, dull yellow to brown.
Shrub or spreading tree, up to 12 m high. Old bark very dark reddish brown, fissured. Leaflets entire; terminal leaflets broadly linear, generally more than 8 times longer than broad, venation prominently penni-parallel. Flowers pale greenish yellow.
Dioecious, evergreen, large shrub or tree to 12 m with dark, fissured bark. Leaves trifoliolate, leaflets sessile, linear to lanceolate. Flowers greenish yellow. Drupes round, shiny.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 4.0 - 8.0
Mature height (meter) 5.0 - 8.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a tropical to subtropical plant. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall of 300-760 mm. It grows in poorly drained soils. It can tolerate frost. In southern Africa is grows from 100-2,300 m above sea level. It can tolerate drought. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
More
Savannahs, open woodlands and riverine forests at elevations from 100-2,300 metres. An understorey tree in Acacia woodland and along drainage lines, rivers and streams. It is often found growing on lime rich substrates.
Savannahs, open woodlands and riverine forests at elevations from 100-2,300 metres. An understorey tree in Acacia woodland and along drainage lines, rivers and streams. It is often found growing on lime rich substrates.
Light 5-9
Soil humidity 6-10
Soil texture 5-6
Soil acidity 4-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-10

Usage

The fruit are eaten. The rough skin is rubbed off and the inner flesh eaten. They are also pounded with water and used to make beer. The fruit are dried and used to make a tea drink. They are also used as a yeast and to curdle milk.
Uses animal food bee plant dye environmental use food gene source invertebrate food material medicinal tea wood
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed, cuttings or layering.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -7
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Searsia lancea leaf picture by garth burge (cc-by-sa)
Searsia lancea leaf picture by Dewald Wagener (cc-by-sa)
Searsia lancea leaf picture by tembela paqula (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Searsia lancea flower picture by Mr Coetzer (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Searsia lancea world distribution map, present in Botswana, Spain, Lesotho, Myanmar, Mozambique, Namibia, Pakistan, United States of America, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Searsia lancea threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:71177-1
WFO ID wfo-0000434904
COL ID 4W74H
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Rhus lancea Toxicodendron lanceum Rhus denudata Rhus fragrans Searsia lancea