Drypetes gerrardii Hutch.
var. gerrardii

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Photo: Jonathan Francis
Pamushana Lodge, Malilangwe

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Synonyms:	Drypetes battiscombei Hutch.
Common names:	Forest ironplum (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or small to medium-sized evergreen tree. Bark smooth, stems fluted and buttressed in large specimens; young branches squarish, covered in golden hairs. Leaves alternate, horizontally in one plane along the branches, elliptic to ovate, 4-15 cm long, dark glossy green above, paler below with dense woolly hairs near the base of the midrib and on the petiole; apex tapering to a long slender driptip; base asymmetric; margin with widely spaced teeth or sometimes entire. Flowers unisexual on different trees, small, yellow; male flowers in small axillary clusters, female flowers solitary. Fruits sub-spherical, fleshy, 1.5 cm, softly hairy, yellow to orange-red when ripe.
Notes:	See Drypetes reticulata for comparison.
Derivation of specific name:	gerrardii: named after William Gerrard, who collected plants in South Africa in 1860.
Habitat:	In the understorey of submontane evergreen forest, sometimes in woodland and riverine forest.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Sep -Nov
Worldwide distribution:	Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Limpopo, Mpumalanga KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Malawi distribution:	N,C,S
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Coeliades libeon (Food plant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 144. as Drypetes gerrardii (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 401. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 23. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 478. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 18. As Drypetes gerrardii Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 251. As Drypetes gerrardii 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 41. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 48. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 91 - 92. Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 276 - 277. (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 86. Timberlake, J.R., Bayliss, J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Congdon, C., Branch, B., Collins, S., Curran, M., Dowsett, R,J., Fishpool, L., Francisco, J., Harris, Kopp, M. & de Sousa, C. (2012). Mt Mabu, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/036. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London Page 73. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 190 - 191. (Includes a picture). White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Pages 250 - 251. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Drypetes gerrardii var. gerrardii:

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Flora of Mozambique: Drypetes gerrardii var. gerrardii
Flora of Zambia: Drypetes gerrardii var. gerrardii
Flora of Zimbabwe: Drypetes gerrardii var. gerrardii

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Drypetes gerrardii
African Plant Database: Drypetes gerrardii
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Drypetes gerrardii
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Drypetes gerrardii
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Drypetes gerrardii
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JSTOR Plant Science: Drypetes gerrardii
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Drypetes gerrardii
Plants of the World Online: Drypetes gerrardii
Tropicos: Drypetes gerrardii
Wikipedia: Drypetes gerrardii