Botanical name |
Combretum erythrophyllum (SA No 536) |
Other names |
River bushwillow; vaderlandswilg (Afrikaans); C. glomeruliflorum |
Family |
Combretaceae |
Dimensions |
Spreading medium sized, sometimes large deciduous tree of up to 13 m in height; often multistemmed, some may recline at an angle |
Description of stem |
Light-brown or grey, smooth or mottled; flaking in patches; irregular markings where twigs have disappeared and unevenness in the surface becomes accentuated in older specimens |
Description of leaves |
Simple, opposite with entire margin; elliptic with tapering base and apex; usually on short lateral twigs; soft, light green and tend to be hairy when young, later leathery and dull green, smooth on top and velvety below; short hairy petiole; bigger and rounder on young trees; in autumn the leaves turn coppery or reddish, creating a strikingly attractive effect |
Description of flowers |
Creamy yellow axillary spikes, about 2 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter appear in spring shortly after the young leaves sprout |
Desciption of seed/fruit |
Four-winged, yellow-brown papery seeds in clusters at the ends of branches remain on the tree through the winter; young fruits are light green and sticky |
Description of roots |
|
Variation |
|
Propagation and cultivation |
Grown from seed or truncheons; seeds germinate easily; the young trees are fast growing |
Tolerances |
Drought resistant |
Uses |
Wood as timber; popular for planting in (bigger) gardens, parks and on street pavements; the gum is used as a varnish; the poisonous roots still used medicinally as a purgative and for treating venereal disease; the dry seeds are used in flower arrangements |
Ecological rarity |
Common |
Pests and diseases |
Insects eat into the young twigs in autumn, causing them to die and fall off |
Other |
Erythrophyllum = red leaves; species similar to C. caffrum |
Location |
Riverine forest, at the edge of open water; when away from water, often thrives where ground water is amply available |
Distribution (SA provinces) |
Northern Cape; North West; KZN; Mpumalanga; Gauteng; Limpopo |
Country |
South Africa; Swaziland; Mozambique; Zimbabwe; Zambia |
Info |
Palgrave |