Dais cotinifolia

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Dais cotinifolia
Dais cotinifolia00.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Thymelaeaceae
Genus: Dais
Species:
D. cotinifolia
Binomial name
Dais cotinifolia
L.
Synonyms

Dais cotinifolia, known as the pompom tree, is a small Southern African tree belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family. It occurs along the east coast northwards from the Eastern Cape, inland along the Drakensberg escarpment through KwaZulu-Natal and the Transvaal, with an isolated population in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. It flowers profusely during the summer months and produces a multitude of pink, sweet-scented, globular flowerheads about 10 cm across. Depending on the circumstances it can reach a height of up to 12m, although it rarely exceeds 6m in cultivation.

Contents

Description

Deciduous, bushy, with neat shape, its height and span only reaches 2-3m (in the UK). [1] It can reach up to 4 metres in Australia. [2] It has small ovate-oblong shaped and lustrous leaves up to 5mm long. [1] It is evergreen in mild climates and deciduous in cool climates. [2] In spring, [2] or in the summer, [1] it bears scented star-shaped rose-lilac, [1] or pink coloured flowers, [2] in flattened clusters that are 8 cm wide across. [1] The bark is tough and fibrous and the branchlets are difficilt to break. [3]

Uses

Used as an ornamental in gardens, [1] can be grown as a small tree or multi-stemmed shrub. [2] It prefers siting in the garden in full sun and in fertile and well drained soils. [1] [2]

Although, it's bark yields fibres that are strong enough to be used as thread. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Christopher Brickell RHS Encyclopedia Of Plants and Flowers (2019) , p. 561, at Google Books
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Plant Profile - Pom Pom Tree". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  3. Van Wyk, Braam; Van Wyk, Piet (1997). Field guide to trees of Southern Africa. Struil. ISBN   1 86825 922 6.