| Home | > | List of families | > | Rosaceae | > | Prunus | > | africana |
Prunus africana
Images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record
Photo: Bart Wursten
By road to Chirinda Forest camp site
Records and maps: Display species records Map species using Google Maps
Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Laurocerasus africana (Hook. f.) Browicz Pygeum africanum Hook. f. Pygeum crassifolium Hauman |
| Common names: | African almond (English) Bitter almond (English) Muchambati (Manica) Muchati (Manica) Red stinkwood (English) |
| Frequency: | Occasional |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Medium to large evergreen tree. Bark dark brown, rough. Leaves elliptic, 5-15 cm long, hairless, glossy dark green above, paler beneath with distinct, darker veining; margin finely toothed with 1-2 glandular dots between the teeth near the base; petiole 1-2 cm long, channelled, often reddish. Inflorescences 7-15-flowered, axillary, 3-7 cm long. Flowers white, small with 10-20 stamens. Fruit wider than long, up to 1.2 cm in diameter, red to purple-brown, very bitter. |
| Notes: | Not listed the Red Data List (Golding, 2002) but generally under threat due to over collecting of the bark for use in traditional medicine. |
| Derivation of specific name: | africana: African |
| Habitat: | In evergreen montane and riverine forest. |
| Altitude range: | 1000 - 2100 m |
| Flowering time: | Sep - Nov & Mar - May |
| Worldwide distribution: | Ghana, Nigeria, Bioko, São Tomé, Cameroun, DRC, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Southern Cape, South Africa. |
| Mozambique distribution: | N,Z,MS |
| Growth form: | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects (whose larvae eat this species): | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Content last updated: | Sunday 8 July 2012 |
| Literature: |
Coates Palgrave K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 249 - 250. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 99. Mapaura, A & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 70. Mendes, E.J. (1978). Rosaceae FZ 4 Pages 10 - 12. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 86. Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, S Africa Pages 138 - 139. (Includes a picture). Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 152 - 153. (Includes a picture). White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Pages 452 - 454. (Includes a picture). |
Other sources of information about Prunus africana:
African Plant Database: Prunus africanaBiodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Prunus africana
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Prunus africana
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Prunus africana
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Prunus africana
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Prunus africana
JSTOR Plant Science: Prunus africana
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Prunus africana
Tropicos: Prunus africana
West African Plants database: Prunus africana
| Home | > | List of families | > | Rosaceae | > | Prunus | > | africana |