Dalbergia armata

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Hluhluwe creeper
Dalbergia armata, loof, a, Krantzkloof NR.jpg
Dalbergia armata, stekels, Krantzkloof NR.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Dalbergia
Species:
D. armata
Binomial name
Dalbergia armata
Synonyms

Dalbergia myriantha Meisn. [1]

Dalbergia armata (Hluhluwe creeper) is a scrambling, deciduous species of legume that is native to subtropical to temperate regions of southeastern Africa. The robust, woody liana or small tree [2] is armed with strong spines on the main stem and branches. [3] It occurs sparsely or commonly in forest, bush, riparian fringes and in wooded ravines. [4] It is sometimes employed as a bonsai subject, [2] [5] and it can be propagated from either seed or cuttings. [6]

Contents

Range

It occurs widely in coastal, montane or riparian forests of southern Tanzania, [1] Mozambique, Eswatini and eastern South Africa. In South Africa it is present in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. [4] The Hluhluwe River is named after this species, [7] due to its prevalence on the banks of the river. The species is virtually confined to White’s Tongaland-Pondoland centre of endemism. [1]

Description

Their thick (up to 15 cm) and 10 to 30 m long ropes [2] have sturdy, sideways-directed spines which may grow in clusters, and encircle the stems. The spines which are up to 10 cm long, [8] hook onto adjacent vegetation to direct the plant towards the canopy. The bark is dark greyish brown.

The alternate leaves are up to 8 cm long, finely compound and are bluish green on their upper surfaces. [2] The 21 to 41 [8] oblong leaflets (i.e. 10 to 20 pairs plus terminal) have a sub-opposite or alternate arrangement. [9] The leaflets close in overcast weather, and the foliage is popular with browsing animals.

Draped over a forest tree Dalbergia armata, habitus, Krantzkloof Natuurreservaat.jpg
Draped over a forest tree

Their very small, [9] sweetly scented flowers are creamy-white in colour. [2] They appear in early summer, and are born in dense terminal or axillary clusters. [9] The small and thin seed pods measure about 5 by 2 cm. They are papery in texture [3] and lemon-yellow to pale brown in colour. [2] The indehiscent fruit which hold 1 to 3 seeds each, [1] are often produced in profusion. They appear in clusters on horizontal branch tips, from late summer. [3] [2]

Similar species

The Zebra-wood is also armed and has an overlapping range, but its leaflets are fewer (7 to 13) and larger, while its flowers vary from white to pink. [4] Other Dalbergia species of the region have hairy pods, or velvety undersides to the leaflets. The Thorny elm has simple leaves.

Related Research Articles

<i>Dalbergia</i> Genus of legumes

Dalbergia is a large genus of small to medium-size trees, shrubs and lianas in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. It was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic Dalbergia clade : the Dalbergieae. The genus has a wide distribution, native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Madagascar and southern Asia.

<i>Pterocarpus angolensis</i> Species of legume

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<i>Vachellia nilotica</i> Species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae

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Dalbergia monticola is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar. It occurs at higher elevation, which gave the species its name.

Dalbergia pseudobaronii is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its leaves are similar to those of Dalbergia baronii, which gave the species its name.

<i>Senecio barbertonicus</i>

The Barberton groundsel or succulent bush senecio is an evergreen succulent shrub of the family Asteraceae and genus Senecio, native to Southern Africa, named after one of its native localities Barberton and is now also being cultivated elsewhere for its drought resistance, clusters of sweetly scented, golden-yellow, tufted flower heads in winter and attractiveness to butterflies, the painted lady butterfly in particular.

<i>Millettia grandis</i> Species of legume

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<i>Trichilia dregeana</i>

Trichilia dregeana, commonly known as the forest natal-mahogany, is a tree in the family Meliaceae. These trees are found in forest areas from the Eastern Cape of South Africa to Tropical Africa.

<i>Dalbergia obovata</i> Species of legume

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<i>Combretum kraussii</i>

Combretum kraussii, the forest bushwillow, is a medium-sized to large tree of eastern South Africa, Swaziland and southern Mozambique, which is found within, or in the vicinity of forests. The specific name commemorates Dr. F. Krauss who undertook a collecting trip to South Africa from 1838 to 1840.

<i>Erianthemum dregei</i>

Erianthemum dregei is a species of parasitic plant in the family Loranthaceae, and is commonly known as the hairy mistletoe or wood flower.

<i>Erythrina zeyheri</i> Species of legume

Erythrina zeyheri, commonly known as the ploughbreaker, is a deciduous, geoxylic subshrub and member of the Fabaceae, which is endemic to southern Africa. It grows no more than 60 cm tall and occurs naturally in the higher altitude grasslands of South Africa's central plateau, and that of adjacent Lesotho. They favour deep clay soil in the vicinity of creeks and marshes, and often form colonies. Its specific name commemorates the 19th century botanist, Karl Zeyher.

<i>Ficus sur</i>

Ficus sur, with the common names Cape fig and broom cluster fig, is a widespread Afrotropical species of cauliflorous fig.

<i>Ficus craterostoma</i>

Ficus craterostoma, a species of strangler fig, is a fig shrub or tree of the Afrotropics that may grow up to 20 m tall. It is found in lowland tropical and swamp forests in the west, or in afromontane forests, including rocky situations, along Africa's eastern escarpments. The western and eastern populations may constitute separate species, as they occur at different altitudes where their ranges meet in central Africa, while they seem to have exclusive pollinating wasp species.

<i>Ficus ingens</i>

Ficus ingens, the red-leaved fig, is a fig species with an extensive range in the subtropical to dry tropical regions of Africa and southern Arabia. Despite its specific name, which means "huge", or "vast", it is usually a shrub or tree of modest proportions. It is a fig of variable habit depending on the local climate and substrate, typically a stunted subshrub on elevated rocky ridges, or potentially a large tree on warmer plains and lowlands. In 1829 the missionary Robert Moffat found a rare giant specimen, into which seventeen thatch huts of a native tribe were placed, so as to be out of reach of lions.

<i>Euclea crispa</i>

Euclea crispa, commonly known as the blue guarri, is an Afrotropical plant species of the family Ebenaceae. The hardy and evergreen plants may form a dense stand of shrubs, or grow to tree size. It is widespread and common in the interior regions of southern Africa, and occurs northward to the tropics. Though some are present near the South African south and east coasts, they generally occur at middle to high altitudes. It is readily recognizable from its much-branched structure and dull bluish foliage colour. Those bearing lanceolate leaves may however resemble the Wild olive, another common species of the interior plateaus.

<i>Maerua cafra</i>

Maerua cafra (DC.) Pax is a small Southern African tree belonging to Capparaceae, the caper family, occurring eastwards along the coast from Knysna, then further inland and northwards through KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland to the Transvaal, southern Mozambique and southern Zimbabwe. The genus Maerua comprises about 60 species found in Africa and Asia.

<i>Protorhus longifolia</i>

Protorhus longifolia, the red beech, is a medium to large, mostly dioecious species of tree in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South Africa and Eswatini, where it occurs in well-watered situations from coastal elevations to 1,250 m. The leafy, evergreen trees have rounded crowns and usually grow between 6 and 10 m tall, but regularly taller in forest.

<i>Boscia foetida</i>

Boscia foetida, commonly known as the stink shepherd's tree and the smelly shepherd's bush, is an evergreen shrub or tree that is native to the warmer and drier parts southern Africa. It is found in semi-desert and arid bushveld, and in the west it occurs commonly in areas which are otherwise sparsely wooded. It is known for the particularly unpleasant smell of its flowers which appear during early spring, to which its specific name foetida alludes. Its freshly cut wood likewise has an unpleasant smell, and has traditional medicinal and magical uses, for instance as a protection against lightning.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Brummitt, R. K.; et al. (2007). "Dalbergia armata E. Mey". Flora Zambesiaca. Leguminosae. 3 (3). Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pooley, Elsa (1997). Trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei. Durban: Natal Flora Publications Trust. p. 168. ISBN   0-620-17697-0.
  3. 1 2 3 Palgrave, K. C. (1984). Trees of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik. p. 105. ISBN   0-86977-081-0.
  4. 1 2 3 Palmer, Eve (1977). A Field Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa. London, Johannesburg: Collins. pp. 91–92. ISBN   0-620-05468-9.
  5. Bent, Tony. "Dalbergia". Cape Bonsai Kai. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  6. "Dalbergia armata". Sunshine Seeds. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  7. Raper, P. E. Hluhluwe (N 2831/2832). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  8. 1 2 Van Wyk, Braam; et al. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik. p. 454. ISBN   1-86825-922-6.
  9. 1 2 3 Harvey, W. H. (1894). "DALBERGIA armata E. Mey. [family LEGUMINOSAE-PAPILIONOIDEAE]". Flora Capensis. 2: 1. Retrieved 18 March 2014.