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Sterculia africana
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Victoria Falls, rd to Zambezi NP
Photo: Bart Wursten
Victoria Falls, rd to Zambezi NP
Photo: Bart Wursten
Victoria Falls, rd to Zambezi NP
Photo: Bart Wursten
By road from Sinamatella to Robins Camp, Hwange NP
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Sterculia guerichii K. Schum. |
| Common names: | African star-chestnut (English) False baobab (English) Tick tree (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Medium sized tree with a stout trunk. Bark smooth silvery-grey, often mottled with purple-brown, peeling. Leaves crowded near the ends of branches, broadly ovate-cordate in outline, variously 3-5- lobed. Flowers in compact terminal panicles, greenish-yellow with reddish guide lines, appearing before the leaves; sexes separate on the same tree. Fruit consisting of 1-5 beaked carpels, each splitting down one side, golden velvety on the outside; mouth fringed with highly irritant hairs, which protect the blue-black, tick-like seeds. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | africana: African |
| Habitat: | |
| Altitude range: | |
| Flowering time: | Sep - Nov |
| Worldwide distribution: | East Africa from Sudan to Mozambique; Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. |
| Malawi distribution: | N,C,S |
| Growth form(s): | Tree, shrub over 2 m. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 594. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 458 - 459. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 454 - 455. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 260. Fowler, D.G. (2007). Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses, Kew Publishing 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 68. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 84. Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 262 - 263. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 108. Storrs, A.E.G. (1995). Know Your Trees Regional Soil Conservation Unit. Pages 97 - 98. (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 179. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 210 - 211. White, F. (1962). Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia Oxford Univ. Press. Page 246. Wild, H. (1960-1). Sterculiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2) Pages 553 - 554. (Includes a picture). |
Other sources of information about Sterculia africana:
Our websites:
Flora of Botswana: Sterculia africanaFlora of Caprivi: Sterculia africana
Flora of Mozambique: Sterculia africana
Flora of Zambia: Sterculia africana
Flora of Zimbabwe: Sterculia africana
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Sterculia africanaAfrican Plant Database: Sterculia africana
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Sterculia africana
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Sterculia africana
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Sterculia africana
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Sterculia africana
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Sterculia africana
JSTOR Plant Science: Sterculia africana
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Sterculia africana
Plants of the World Online: Sterculia africana
Tropicos: Sterculia africana
Wikipedia: Sterculia africana
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