Botanical name |
Pterocarpus rotundifolius (SA No 237) |
Other names |
Round-leaved bloodwood; dopperkiaat (Afrikaans); iNdlandlovu (Zulu) |
Family |
Papilionoideae |
Dimensions |
Often a shrub, sometimes a tree reaching height beyond 8 m |
Description of stem |
The bark is variable, brown or grey, smooth, fissured, flaking or rough |
Description of leaves |
Compound with a terminal leaflet; the leaflets are round to ovate; darker above than below; margins entire; some forms have hairy leaves, but others may often be glabrous |
Description of flowers |
Pea-shaped, yellow, in both axillary and terminal clusters, appear in spring or summer |
Description of seed/fruit |
A thick flat pod surrounded by thin round membrane or wing |
Description of roots |
Taproot |
Variation |
At least three forms varying in the number of leaflets, hairiness and distribution area have been noted |
Propagation and cultivation |
The tree is a garden subject offered by some nurseries |
Tolerances |
Frost sensitive, young trees need protection in colder areas |
Uses |
The wood is used in various ways, although it is not easy to work and not very durable; good pollen for bee-keeping |
Ecological rarity |
Common |
Pests and diseases |
|
Other |
The wood is light-coloured |
Location |
Wooded grassland |
Distribution (SA provinces) |
Limpopo; Mpumalanga; Kwazulu-Natal; North West |
Country |
South Africa; Swaziland; Mozambique; Zimbabwe; Botswana; Zambia; Namibia; Angola |