Halleria lucida

General Info – Summary

Attractive widespread plant is a shrub or Tree to 12m high, with shallowly fissured brownish bark.  The ovate, simple & opposite Leaves have toothed margins & lack stipules.  The striking, bisexual, zygomorphic Flowers with bilabiate petals are red, orange or cream coloured and may appear on old wood.  Stamens – didynamous.  1 superior ovary with exerted style.  Fruit: indehiscent berry + flat narrowly winged seeds.

Description

SA Tree No. 670.

Common names: (Afr) Geelhoutkop, Kinderbessie, Notsung, Ouhout, Septee, Wilde Druiwe, Witolienhout, Witolyf, Witolyfhout, Witolyn.  (Eng) Halleria, Hilarious Lucy, Olive, Tree Fuchsia (usually applied to Schotis sp.), White Olive (referring to the wood colour), Wild Fuschia.  (isiXhosa) Iliminza, Inkobe, Isibethankunzi, Umbinza.  (isiZulu) Iminza, Iminya, Indomela, Ubutswhwala-benyoni, Umbinza, Umobibi, Unobhibhi, Unondomela, Ubutshwala-benyoni.  (Northern Sotho) Mothebere, Motheberebe.  (Setswana) Lebetsa.  (siSwati) Libinda, Londomela, Umbinda, Umbinta.  (Tshivenda) Murevhe.

Family: Stilbaceae: (Mainly an African Family with 6 genera and about 14 species).  Local genera on this website include Anastrabe, Bowkeria, Halleria, and Nuxia.  Members of this family have simple and entire Leaves that lack stipules and have recurved margins.  Non-stellate hairs are present.  Flowers are bisexual and zygomorphic or regular and the corolla is funnel-shaped and usually 2-lipped.  The usually 4 Stamens are epipetalous (born on or arising from the petals), and the usually superior Ovary initially has 2 locules each with 1 ovule.  Fruit is usually a dehiscent capsule but may be a berry.

Name derivation: Halleria named after a Swiss anatomist, physiologist, naturalist, encyclopedist, bibliographer and poet: Prof Albrecht von Haller (1708-1777).  lucida – shining – referring to the leaves.  There are 3 species of the genus Halleria in southern Africa.  The other two are H. elliptica and H. ovate. Three species occur in southern Africa and 2 additional species in Madagascar.

Conservation: National Status: L C. (Least Concern).  Assessment: 2005/06/30. W. Foden & L. Potter.

Tree

This Tree is usually up to 12m (photo 253) high but may reach 18-20m in a forest.  In the slopes of the Drakensberg, they may also develop as a shrub.  When growing in the open, the plant may be multi-stemmed (photo 63) and may develop trailing branches.  Here the tree tends to have a spreading crown.  The crown may also be rounded (photo 463) and branching higher up.  Young stems may be greenish and arching.  Branches tend to be opposite, stiff and dense.  The Trunk is usually erect and up to 30cm in diameter.  Bark is pale greyish brown, rather rough and may be flaky.  It is longitudinally, but not deeply, grooved (photo 59 and 633 under Flowers).  At the base of these grooves, a lighter coloured underbark may be seen (photo 676).  On this photo, grey Lichen is visible.  Lichen is a complex organism that develop a mutualistic relationship (both benefit) between Fungi and either algae or cyanobacteria.  The fungi supply protection as well as water and mineral salts and the algae or cyanobacteria use photosynthesis to produce food for the fungi.  Lichen does not harm the plant.

Leaves

On this usually evergreen tree, the slightly drooping Leaves are simple (have a single blade, which may have incisions that are not deep enough to divide the leaf into leaflets). Leaves are in opposite pairs and thinly leathery.  The hairless leaves are broadly Ovate (shaped like an egg) and up to 10 x 7cm (photo 558).  Leaves on coppice shoots (when stems are cut or burned, it causes regrowth from the stump or roots) have shoots that may be larger.  Leaves are shiny bright to dark green above and lighter bright green below (photo 558).  The Veins are slightly sunken above and raised and more visible below.  Veins are best viewed by holding the leaf against a strong light/sun (photo 1006).   The pointed Apex is tapering to attenuate (showing a long gradual taper – photo 558).  The Base is broadly tapering to square and may be asymmetric (not equal to the opposite side).  The Margins on both sides, are serrate (saw-toothed margin with teeth pointing forward – photo 558) to scalloped having the margin marked with segments of circles – usually less than a semi-circle(photo 1006).  Main side veins merge and join with others prior to reaching the margin.  The Petiole (stalk of leaf) is up to 1,3cm long.  Stipules (basal appendages of the petiole) are absent.

Flowers

Flowers are showy and may be in large groups.  They may be red, orange (photo 633) or light cream coloured (photo 372).  Each is about 4cm long, bisexual, and parts are 4-merous (-merous: having a specific number of parts in the whorls in the sepal, petal and stamens – photo 991).  Flowers are zygomorphic (irregular flower: when corolla is divisible into 2 equal halves in one plane only).  Flowers are borne in leaf axils on young branches or are cauliflorous (the production of flowers and fruit from their main stems or woody trunks rather than from new growth and shoots – photo 633).  Other cauliflorous plants include Englerophytum magalismontanum – Stamvrug and Drypetes natalensis var. natalensis.  Each Halleria lucida flower is rich in nectar and tends to hang down (photos 633 & 372) from a thin Pedicel (stalk of a single flower – photo 505).  The Calyx is bright green, and the sepals may be almost plate-like – standing close to a right angle away from the corolla tube (photo 372).  Here the Sepals are much shorter than the tubular Corolla tube.  This slightly hairy (photo 991) curved tube is up to 4cm long and ends in short lobes.  The Petals are bilabiate (2-lipped).  The Lower lip has 2 short lobes, and the Upper lip has 3 lobes (photo 991).  All lobes are much shorter than the corolla tube and are not equal.  The 4 long Stamens arise from the extreme base of the corolla.  They are didynamous (having 4 stamens disposed in 2 pairs of 2 different lengths – photo 372).  All 4 protrude beyond the corolla tube.  Staminodes (sterile stamens) are absent.  The Anthers have 2 diverging thecae (pollen sacs – photo 372).  A cushion shaped Nectary is present.  The single Pistil (a unit of the Gynoecium, the female element of the flower, composed of the Ovary, Style and Stigma) has 1 superior Ovary with 2 locules (compartments), each with many ovules.  The persistent filiform (thread or filament like) Style is long, thin and exserted (sticking out or projecting beyond) in this case beyond the petals.  (Apr-Nov+).

Fruit

The broadly ovoid to almost spherical Fruit is a small marble-sized Berry (pulpy, indehiscent fruit like a grape or tomato) which is about 1cm in diameter.  It is initially green, (photo 385) becoming blackish purple with a persistent thinnish Calyx when ripe.  It does not burst open.  A clearly visible long, thin, persistent and reddish Style protrudes far beyond the apex of the fruit (photo 385).  (Jun-Feb).  Seeds are small, flat and narrowly winged and initially in a jelly-like flesh

Distribution & Ecology

This accommodating Plant grows in temperate and tropical environments.  It extends further south than most tropical trees e.g. Gauteng in Johannesburg but does require a reasonable amount of water (often occur near streams and rivers).  It is one of the common mountain trees and occurs in all provinces of South Africa (from Table Mountain northwards).  In the dry Northern Cape, there are few plants and here they may be bushy, a low stocky tree or climber.  It also occurs in Lesotho, high west side of Siswati (Swaziland), western Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi – on Mount Mulanje (highest peak is Sapitwa – 3 002m), Madagascar, and northwards to Kenya, Ethiopia and Nile lands, but not in Namibia.  These plants are common in the Afromontane region in the Drakensberg Mountains but also down to 300m above sea level in the Knysna Amatole Mountain forests.  These forests are generally cooler and more humid than the surrounding lowlands.  Halleria lucida is a non-poisonous plant and widely distributed in different habitats.  These range from rocky outcrops, cold reasonably high altitudes to warmer forests, and forest fringes.  This tree is frost and drought resistant.  The fruit and nectar rich flowers attract insects and birds – including White Eyes, Sunbirds (e.g., Lesser Double Coloured), Cape Thrush, Natal Robin and the Fiscal Flycatcher.  Good rains enhance flowering which occurs after the first year.

Ethnobotany

The extractable small Wood is pale yellow (the name “white olive” is based on the lightwood that is like that from the olive tree – Olea europaea).  Halleria lucida wood is tough, hard, relatively dense and has been used to make panga handles and for starting fires by friction.  It was once used to make wagon poles.  This tree attracts many birds and should be planted with Tecomaria capensis and Leonotis for this purpose.  Fruit is very sweet, edible, but not tasty.  It is consumed in times of need.  In these times, the green fruit may be buried for several days before being consumed.  Eland and livestock browse the Leaves.  The tree is easily grown from cuttings or clean seeds and flowers as soon as one year after planting but should be protected from frost when young.  Water regularly – especially in summer.  Growth is about one metre per year.  Roots are non-invasive and the tree may be planted close to walls.  It is a good container plant with a low maintenance requirement.  This plant is used in local medicine and against evil and witchcraft.

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. Halleria lucida L. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2024.1. Accessed on 2026/03/13.

Ginn P.J. Mcilleron W.G. and Milstein P. le S, 1989. The Complete Book of Southern African Birds. Struik, Cape Town.

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.

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

 

http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/plants/stilbaceae/index.htm

http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/stilbace.htm

http://plantzafrica.com/planthij/hallerialucida.htm

http://witkoppenwildflower.co.za/halleria-lucida/

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_von_Haller

http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Stilbaceae/