Clutia abyssinica Jaub. & Spach.
var. abyssinica

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Tava Marsh, Moribane Forest.

Synonyms:	Clutia glabrescens Knauf ex Pax
Common names:	Large, or Smooth-fruited lightning-bush (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or rarely a small tree, up to c. 4 m. Leaves ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, up to 16 cm long, fairly thinly textured, light green above, somewhat blue-green below, mostly hairless (in var. abyssinica), some orange-red leaves often present; margin entire. Flowers in axillary clusters, small, yellowish to greenish, unisexual on different trees. Fruit c. 5 mm in diameter, almost round, almost hairless, pale green with whitish pustules. This variety has hairless or almost hairless stems and leaves.
Notes:	See var. pedicellaris for comparison.
Derivation of specific name:	abyssinica: of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
Habitat:	In clearings and along margins of evergreen forest, riverine forest and high rainfall woodland.
Altitude range:	300 - 2300 m
Flowering time:	Mar - Jul
Worldwide distribution:	Sudan and Somalia southwards to Angola and South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal).
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,T,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:	Wednesday 11 July 2012
Literature:

Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Clutia abyssinica
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Clutia abyssinica
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Clutia abyssinica
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Clutia abyssinica
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Clutia abyssinica
JSTOR Plant Science: Clutia abyssinica
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Clutia abyssinica
Tropicos: Clutia abyssinica
West African Plants database: Clutia abyssinica