| Clutia pulchella | |
|---|---|
 | |
| C. pulchella var. pulchella | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Peraceae |
| Genus: | Clutia |
| Species: | C. pulchella |
| Binomial name | |
| Clutia pulchella | |
Clutia pulchella, the lightning bush, is a southern African dioecious shrub of the family Peraceae. It occurs at middle altitudes in Namibia, Mozambique, [1] Zimbabwe, [2] Eswatini, [3] Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa. [4]
They may grow 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) high, [3] and occur on a variety of broken terrain types.
The twigs are green with some wart-like growths. Leaf shape is somewhat variable, either blunt-tipped ovate or broadly lanceolate. The foliage is bluish-green but sometimes interspersed with some bright orange leaves. [5] They are soft with venation that is transparent against light, besides the numerous glands that dot each leaf. [5] [Note 1]
The axillary flowers develop into spherical, [3] clearly three-chambered capsules. The capsules are about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) in diameter, and may bear warts. Seeds are released when the dry capsules burst open.
It is a food plant for the Heidelberg copper butterfly. It is similar to the related monoecious species C. abyssinica , which has the leaves more elongated. [4]
Media related to Clutia pulchella at Wikimedia Commons