General Info – summary

This usually single stemmed, deciduous Tree with a dark brown bark is up to 10m high and has a trunk up to 30cm wide.  Domatia may be present on the simple, variously shaped Leaves that are wavy, have entire margins and lack stipules.  Bisexual, yellowish, regular, 4-merous, highly scented Flowers have inferior ovaries and develop in spikes on leaf axils.  The 4-winged indehiscent Fruit has a single low-density seed.

Description.

Combretum apiculatum

SA Tree No. 532.

Common names: (Afr) Rooiblaar, Rooiblad, Rooibos, Rooiboswilg, Rooiblaar, Rooiblad, Rooibos, Rooiboswilg.  (Eng) Bush Willow, Hill Combretum, Red Bush Willow, Sabi Willow.  (Northern Sotho) Mohwelere, Mohwelere-tshipi.  (isiZulu) Imbondwe-omnyama, Umbondwe.  (Setswana) Imbondvo, Imbondvo-lemhlophe, Imbondvo-lemhlophe, Imbondwe-omnyama, Mogodiri, Mogoeleri.  (siSwati) Imbondvo, Imbondvo-lemhlophe, Inkukutu, Umbondomnyama.  (Tshivenda) Mugavhi, Musingidzi.  (Xitsonga) Xikukutsu.

Family Combretaceae (Bushwlillow family).  In this family, there are about 16 genera, which contain about 530 species.  In South Africa, there are 5 genera and 41 species.  Here the genera with Trees include Combretum, Lumnitzera, Pteleopsis and Terminalia.  The simple and usually entire Leaves lack stipules.  Flowers are usually bisexual.  There are usually twice the number of stamens as sepals or petals.  The inferior Ovary has 1 locule and usually only 1 of the ovules develops into a seed.  Fruit is usually indehiscent and may be winged or ridged.

Name derivation: Combretum – Name given by Pliny (23-79AD).  apiculatum: is based on the shape of the leaf apex which ends in a twisted, short sharp point.  There are in excess of 20 species of the Genus Combretum in South Africa.

Conservation: National Status: L C. (Least Concern).  Assessed: 2005 (W. Foden and L. Potter).

Tree

This small to medium sized Tree may reach a height of 10m, with a trunk diameter up to 30cm or it may be a shrub.  The usually single stem may be curved.  This unarmed tree has a scanty Crown.  The initially smooth Bark is stringy on Twigs (1-year-old current branch segments).  The trunk becomes dark grey (photo 131) to dark brown (photo 341) or black and may be cracked or flaking.  Slight fissures develop and these become rough with age (photo 648).   The reddish-brown Branches tend to hang down.

Leaves

Young Leaves are sticky and slightly shiny.  Older leaves are less shiny, olive green and slightly lighter below (photo 118).  They may vary up to 13 x 8cm but are usually smaller (photo 118).  Leaves are usually opposite (photos 342) but may be alternate or 3-whorled.  The variable leaves may be widely lanceolate, ovate, oblong, obovate-elliptic or oval leaves may all appear at the same time on this deciduous tree.  They may be thinly leathery, olive to yellowish green or gold and simple (have a single blade, which may have incisions that are not deep enough to divide the leaf into leaflets).  In winter, the leaves change and become an attractive brownish red or yellow.   Using a hand lens, minute gland dots may be visible on the lower side of the leaf – especially if the leaf is held against a strong light (photo 123).  In this photo, the 5-7 pairs of main lateral Veins are clearly visible.  The yellowish side veins tend to arch towards the apex.  They mainly protrude below and here rusty coloured hairs may be present.  Linking these lateral veins are ladder-like connecting veins.  In the field, a hand lens will help.  A bent leaf does not reveal a waxy margin.  Leaves may have a slightly varnish like sheen.  The Apex may form a slender, distinct, twisted and diagnostic drip tip (photos 118 & 123).  It may also be rounded.  The Base is narrowed, rounded or slightly lobed.   The Petiole (leaf stalk) is up to 1cm long.  Stipules (basal appendages of the petiole) are absent.  The Margin is wavy and entire (with a continuous margin, not in any way indented).  Possibly present in vein axils are hair tuft Domatia (tiny chambers produced by plants that house arthropods.  To the naked eye, domatia appear as small bumps).

Flowers

The greenish to creamy yellow/green and heavily scented Flowers appear together with the new leaves.  They develop in up to 4 small axillary Spikes (simple indeterminate inflorescence with sessile flowers on a single unbranched stalk).  These spikes are up to 5 x 1cm and occur in leaf axils.  The flowers are bisexual and actinomorphic (Regular, symmetrical and are vertically divisible into similar halves by more than 1 plane passing through the axis).  The Receptacle (that expanded tip of the flower stalk from which the floral parts develop) is divided into an upper and lower part.  Individual flowers have a Calyx containing 4 Sepals.  These form an extension above the ovary.  The 4 Petals in the Corolla have lobes that are triangular and fringed with hairs.  The 8 Stamens are in 2 whorls, which are borne inside the upper receptacle.  The Anthers are dorsifixed (attached by or at the back) and versatile (hung or attached near the middle, and usually move freely).  Within the Gynoecium (the female element of the flower) is a single pistil composed of the completely inferior 1-locular Ovary and the free Style ending in the Stigma.  The ovary has 1 Locule (chamber within an ovary).  The inferior ovary can be mistaken for a Pedicle (flower stalk).  (Sep-Feb).

Fruit

The sticky when young, 4-winged, low density, indehiscent Fruit rests on a stalk (photo 131), is almost ovoid and up to 3 x 2,5cm.  It usually has 4 distinct thin papery wings that are up to 7mm wide and have a satiny sheen.  Young green fruit is sticky whereas mature fruit has a satiny sheen and becomes a glossy yellowish green to reddish-brown (photo 131).  The fruit remains on the tree for an extended period and contains a single Seed that lacks endosperm (the starch and oil-containing tissue of many seeds; often referred to as the albumen).  (Jan-May and may remain to-Oct).

Distribution & Ecology

These Trees commonly occur on rocky hillsides in the dry bushveld, at low altitudes (lowveld and mixed Bushveld) and in well-drained soils.  This is a widespread African species occurring in mixed tree veld.  It is located in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Swaziland, Mozambique (fairly widespread), Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and northwards into tropical East Africa.  The Flowers attract bees and ants.  Many animals including Kudu, Giraffe, Elephant and Eland eat the Leaves.  Larvae of the Striped Policeman butterfly (Coeliades forestan forestan) feed on the leaves and occur from the Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe and Botswana.  Bushbabies consume the Gum arising from wounds.  The Brown-headed Parrots, (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus) with their strong beaks, eat the possibly poisonous Seeds.

Ethnobotany

The presence of this tree is considered an indicator of mixed veld (combination of Sweetveld – slightly acidic – provides good grazing, and Sourveld – veld that is largely covered with coarse seasonal perennial grasses and affords inferior grazing).  The hard, termite resistant Wood is fine grained.  It has pale sapwood and dark heartwood.  It makes good fence posts, is used for fuel and makes an excellent charcoal.  The tree is fire resistant.  Its relatively thin Stem limits its uses.  Bark extracts are used to tan leather.  Cattle graze Leaves – especially just before or after they fall.  Tea can be made from the leaves.  Trees can be grown from Seeds.  These may be toxic to people.  When present, the Gum is edible.  Local medicine makes use of leaves and ashes.

References

Boon, R. 2010. Pooley’s Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lotter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. 2018. Trees and Shrubs Mozambique.  Publishing Print Matters (Pty) Ltd.  Noordhoek, Cape Town.

Coates Palgrave, M. 2002. Keith Coates Palgrave Trees of Southern Africa, edn 3. Struik, Cape Town.

Foden, W. & Potter, L. 2005. Combretum apiculatum Sond. subsp. apiculatum. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2022/11/17.

Lawrence, G. H. M, 1951. Taxonomy of Vascular Plants. The Macmillan Company, New York. Tenth Printing 1965.

Palmer, E. & Pitman, N. 1972. Trees of southern Africa. Balkema, Amsterdam, Cape Town.

Schmidt, S. Lotter, M. & McCleland, W. 2002. Trees and Shrubs of Mpumalanga and the Kruger National Park. Jacana, Johannesburg.

van Wyk, B. & van Wyk, P. 1997 Field guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town.

 

http://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Combretum_albopunctatum_(PROTA)

http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/combretumapicapic.htm

http://posa.sanbi.org/flora/browse.php?src=SP