General Info – summary

This deciduous, monoecious and ornamental Tree with its greyish brown bark is up to 9m high. Twigs are velvety. Simple, densely hairy, translucent Leaves have herringbone side veins, are alternate, and have thick petioles. Small, unisexual + greenish yellow Flowers have 5 small petals. Female with a double disc & superior ovary. 5 stamens have connate filaments. Edible Fruit is a spherical berry + 1 or 2 hard seeds.

Description

Bridelia mollis

SA Tree No. 325.

Common names: (Afr) Fluweel-soetbessie, Wollerige Soetbessie. (Eng) Velvet Bridelia, Velvet-leaved Bridelia, Velvet Sweet-berry. (Setswana) Mokamanawa, Mokokonala, Mokokonana, Mokokwenana, Mokopakopa. (Tshivenda) Mukumba-kumbane. (Xitsonga) Swatima.

Family Phyllanthaceae. This family is most noticable in the tropics (future changea are probable). In this diverse family, some genera are poorly defined. Latex and Spines are usually absent. This is diagnostic and excludes them from Euphorbiaceae. There are about 50+ genera and 2 000 species in this family. They are most numerous in the tropics and most members are trees. Leaves are usually simple, alternate and petiolate. Leaf margins are usually entire and, leaves are present in most species. The actinomorphic Flowers are usually unisexual and may be monoecious or dioecious. The superior Ovary has 2 ovules in each locule. The Fruit is a berry, drupe or schizocarp. Local genera containing trees on this website include Antidesma, Bridelia, Cleistanthus, and Heywoodia.

Name derivation: Bridelia – named after Samuel Elisee de Bridel (1761-1828) – a Swiss-German moss specialist. mollis – soft: referring to the velvety, hairy leaves. There are 4 species of this genus in southern Africa. All have simple, untoothed, alternate leaves.

Conservation: National Status: L C. (Least Concern). Assessment: Raimondo et al. (2009).

Tree

This ornamental Tree has a thick, leafy, rounded or truncate crown (photo 416) and may reach 9m in height but is usually half this. Shoots and twigs are densely velvety (smooth, soft appearance) and are reddish to pale brown (photo 435 under Fruit). Present here are some Lenticels (a usually raised corky oval or elongated area on the plant that allows the uncontrolled interchange of gases with the environment – photo 421). The greyish to dark brown and rough Bark may have longitudinal striations, exposing reddish under bark (photo 418).

: 416. 2018/04/24 Nylsvley. Photo: David Becking.

: 418. 2018/04/24 Nylsvley. Photo: David Becking.

Leaves

The alternate (photo 435 under Fruit), soft, velvety (photo 422 under Fruit) Leaves tend to droop and are simple (have a single blade which may have incisions that are not deep enough to divide the leaf into leaflets – photo 419). They are ovate to obovate (egg-shaped – with the narrower end at the base – photo 419) and up to 13 x 7cm although the size may vary – even on the same branch. Leaves are light green above and slightly lighter below. Young leaves on this deciduous tree change from a furry, golden colour to a densely velvety light green as they mature. Both surfaces of the Blade are densely hairy. The Midrib is raised on both sides – more on the lower side (photo 419). There are usually between 9 and 12 almost parallel side Veins running quite steeply towards the margin forming a herringbone pattern (photo 419). These side veins reach the margins and are clearly visible on the lower surface (photo 435 – under Fruit). In this translucent leaf, all veins are clearly visible when viewed against a strong light (in this case the sun – photo 425). Veins may branch before reaching the margin (photo 425) but do reach it. Here the ladder-like smaller veins linking the side veins are visible. The Apex is rounded and possibly notched (photo 419). The Base is broadly tapering to rounded even cordate (heart-shaped) or lobed. The Margin is entire (with a continuous margin, not in any way indented) and may appear to be scalloped between veins. In photo 425, the hairy margin is clearly visible. The Petiole (leaf stalk) is densely hairy, distinctly thick and short – up to 0,5cm long (photo 419). Small green Stipules (basal appendages of the petiole) are present but soon fall. (Nov-Feb).

: 421. 2018/04/25. Nylsvley NR. Photo: David Becking.

: 419. 2018/04/25. Nylsvley NR. Photo: David Becking.

: 425. 2018/04/25. Nylsvley NR. Photo: David Becking.

Flowers

The small unobtrusive greenish or reddish-yellow Flowers are up to 4mm wide. They develop in leaf axils (photo 421 – under Leaves) and are unisexual and monoecious (having both male and female reproductive organs on the same plant). Flowers are borne on short Pedicels (stalks of a single flower) in early summer. (Old flowers are visible in photo 421 – under Leaves). The 5 valvate (meeting by the edge without overlapping) Sepals are slightly longer than the petals and ovate-triangular (photo 422 under Fruit). Unlike many members of the family, these flowers have 5 broadly obovate Petals. Male Flowers are in short dense clusters. The 5 Stamens have filaments (the usually long slender stalk that supports the anther) that are connate (united so as to form a single part). Here the ovary is rudimentary. Female Flowers are fewer or are single. They have a double Disc (a more or less fleshy or elevated development of the receptacle) present. The outer disc is annular, and the inner disc surrounds the base of the superior Ovary. Here 2 locules (separate cavities in the ovary) are usually present. Each locule has 2 ovules. (Nov-Feb).

Fruit

The round and edible drupe-like Fruit is a fleshy almost spherical Berry (pulpy, indehiscent fruit like a grape or tomato). It is roughly the size of a pea and is up to 1cm wide. Berries are initially velvety (having a smooth, soft appearance, feel, or taste photo 422). In this photo, the remains of the now old calyx are visible. Berries become discernibly clear green with white dots and have a persistent Style (photo 435) present. They turn black when mature. The Fruit may remain on the tree after the leaves have fallen. Each fruit contains either 2 hard Seeds or one by abortion. A thin pulpy layer surrounds the seeds. Seeds have copious albumen (starchy or other nutritive material surrounding the embryo). (Jan-Jun).

: 422. 2018/04/25. Nylsvley NR. Photo: David Becking.

: 435. 2018/04/25. Nylsvley NR. Photo: David Becking.

Distribution & Ecology

These bushveld (a sub-tropical woodland ecoregion of southern Africa) Trees are common close to water and grow at medium to low altitudes. They may also be found in sandveld (land characterized by dry sandy soil) and on granite (an igneous rock that develops underground when silica rich molten rock cools and decompose) koppies and other rocky outcrops. It is common on rocky hills like the Waterberg, Magaliesberg and Soutpansberg. Trees are indigenous in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North-West, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique (central, north and extreme south), Zambia, Malawi and northern Namibia. It is thus Endemic (restricted to a particular geographic location) in southern Africa. Birds and animals consume the fruit.

Ethnobotany

The edible Fruit has a taste similar to that of prunes and can be used to make jam. In some parts, local people will not use the Wood for fuel, as they believe that doing so might prevent cattle from producing female offspring. The wood is pale brown and suitable for making ornaments and takes a good polish. Plant extracts have some Antibacterial properties. Prior to planting, the seeds should be fresh and cleaned.