Rhus chirindensis forma legatii

Bak.f. , (Schonl.) R. & A.Fernandes

Bush jarrah, Red currant rhus

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Description

A tall tree. It normally loses its leaves during the year. It grows to 25 m tall. The trunk can be 0.6-1.3 m across. It can also grow as a straggling shrub. The stems of young plants are thorny but mature trees do not have thorns. The bark is rough. When the stem is cut the sap is blood red. The young leaves are reddish. Mature leaves are dark glossy green. The form of this tree in tropical Africa is hairy. The leaflets are large. They are 13 cm long and 6 cm wide. The side leaflets are smaller, narrow at both ends, have sharp points and without stalks. The end leaflet has a short stalk. The flowers are in branched sprays. The male flower sprays are at the end of branches and are long while the female sprays are in the axils of leaves and are shorter. The flowers are very small but occur in very large numbers. The fruit are small, round and red. The fruit are sweet and edible.

Edible Uses

The small round red fruit are sweet and edible.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in a wide variety of places. It can be in stony hillsides, open woodland, mountain scrub or along streams.

Where It Grows

Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe,

Notes

There are about 200 Rhus species.

Synonyms

Rhus legatii Schonl.

Also Known As

Inhlangishane-lenkhulu

References (3)

Palgrave, K.C., 1996, Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers. p 474
Palmer, E and Pitman, N., 1972, Trees of Southern Africa. Vol. 2. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town p 1243
van Wyk, B, van Wyk, P, and van Wyk B., 2000, Photographic guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Briza. p 266