Entada rangei | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
Genus: | Entada |
Species: | E. rangei |
Binomial name | |
Entada rangei (Harms) S.A.O’Donnell & G.P.Lewis (2022) | |
Synonyms | |
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Entada rangei, commonly known as the skew-leaved elephant-root, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is a deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub or rarely a tree of 4 to 8 meters tall, which may be found on hills as well as plains. [1] The type material was obtained south of Humbe, Angola. E. rangei of southern Namibia is now considered a synonym. [2]
It is native to Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, northern South Africa, southern Angola and northwestern Namibia. An isolated population is present in southern Namibia. [2] The species is not threatened.
The stems and branches are smooth and reddish-brown. During spring or early summer, [3] while still leafless, long, sulphur-yellow flower spikes decorate the plants. [1] Large pods are formed in autumn. The seeds are prominently enveloped by the valves, which are dark brown when ripe. The valves split open and curl back, after detaching from the thickened margins. [1]
The large feathery leaves, reminiscent of Jacaranda leaves, appear in summer. [1] They are bipinnate with up to 31 pairs of pinnae, each carrying up to 50 pairs of very small leaflets. [3] The latter are very asymmetric with the midrib running along their extreme inner edge, [3] rather than the middle, hence its vernacular name. [1]
Elephantorrhiza rangei Harms was named for Paul Range (1879-1952), a naturalist and geologist who travelled extensively in Namibia. [2] In 1908 he collected material of an isolated population in dry savanna beside the Löwen River, at Naute in southern Namibia. The Naute Dam, one of Namibia's largest dams, may have submerged a part of this local population's habitat after its construction in 1970-1972. E. rangei was feared extinct until a single plant was located near the dam wall in 2005. Its features and measurements were however determined to fall within the known variation of E. suffruticosa, and the two were placed in synonymy. [2]
Strychnos spinosa, the Natal orange, is a tree indigenous to tropical and subtropical Africa. It produces sweet-sour, yellow fruits, containing numerous hard brown seeds. Greenish-white flowers grow in dense heads at the ends of branches. The fruits tend to appear only after good rains. It is related to the deadly Strychnos nux-vomica, which contains strychnine. The smooth, hard fruit are large and green, ripen to yellow colour. Inside the fruit are tightly packed seeds, which may be toxic, surrounded by a fleshy, brown, edible covering. Animals such as baboon, monkeys, bushpig, nyala and eland eat the fruit. The leaves are a popular food source for browsers such as duiker, kudu, impala, steenbok, nyala and elephant.
The black-headed oriole is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is found in Africa and has a very striking appearance with a bright yellow body, contrasting black head and flesh-coloured beak.
The white-browed sparrow-weaver is a predominantly brown, sparrow-sized bird found throughout central and north-central southern Africa. It is found in groups of two to eleven individuals consisting of one breeding pair and other non-reproductive individuals.
The grey go-away-bird, also known as grey lourie, grey loerie, or kwêvoël, is a bold and common bird of the southern Afrotropics. They are present in arid to moist, open woodlands and thorn savanna, especially near surface water. They regularly form groups and parties that forage in tree tops, or dust bathe on the ground. Especially when disturbed, they make their presence known by their characteristically loud and nasal "kweh" or "go-way" calls, with the last syllable typically a descending drawl. Within their range, their unique combination of colour, appearance and habits precludes confusion with other bird species.
Baikiaea plurijuga, known as African teak, Mukusi, Rhodesian teak, Zambian teak or Zambesi redwood, is a species of Afrotropical tree from the legume family, the Fabaceae from southern Africa.
The coppery-tailed coucal is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It was first described by the German ornithologist Anton Reichenow in 1896.
The rattling cisticola is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae which is native to Africa south of the equator, and parts of East Africa. It is a common to abundant species in open savanna and scrubland habitats, whether in arid, moist or upland regions. Especially during summer, it is highly conspicuous due to its strident and repetitive call-notes from prominent perches.
The white-browed robin-chat, also known as Heuglin's robin, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. Found in east, central and southern Africa, its natural habitats include riverine forest and thickets, and it is also found near humans. The IUCN classifies it as a least-concern species.
The mountain wagtail, also known as the long-tailed wagtail or grey-backed wagtail, is a species of wagtail of the family Motacillidae from sub-Saharan Africa.
The white-bellied sunbird, also known as the white-breasted sunbird, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The short-snouted elephant shrew or short-snouted sengi is a species of elephant shrew in the family Macroscelididae. It is found over a wide area of Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
The Southern African hedgehog is a species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
The swamp musk shrew, or musk shrew, is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It occurs in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is swamps, and it is a common species in suitable habitats, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature listing it as being of "least concern".
Gonialoe dinteri, the Namibian partridge aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the Asphodelaceae family. It is native to arid areas of Angola and Namibia.
Ipomoea heptaphylla, sometimes known as Wright's morning glory in the United States, is a species of morning glory. It is incorrectly classified as I. wrightii in American publications, but is incorrectly known as I. tenuipes in Africa and India. It is an annual or short-lived perennial vine which climbs using twining stems, and has pink or purple flowers. The leaf shape is somewhat variable, with individuals possessing compound leaves palmately divided into five leaflets, and lanceolate-leaved individuals occurring in neighbouring populations. The name heptaphylla actually means 'seven-leaved'. This plant has a very extensive distribution, from Texas and adjacent states in the southeastern USA to Misiones in northern Argentina, the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean, India, Sri Lanka and East and Southern Africa. Despite its wide distribution it is uncommon throughout its range. The rediscovery of the presence of the species in India after an absence of over half a century was published in 2014. The species appears to favour dry subtropical to tropical habitats.
Entada elephantina, commonly known as the eland's wattle or elephant's root, is a subshrub in the mimosoid clade of legumes. They occur widely and in several bioregions of southern Africa in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho. Considerable size variation has been noted, and polyploidy was suspected.
Dracaena mannii Baker or small-leaved dragon tree, is a small to medium-sized tree, though recorded up to 30 m tall with stem to 2 m in diameter in Cameroon and Gabon. It occurs from Senegal to Angola along the African west coast, is widespread in tropical Africa and is found along the African east coast from Kenya to Kosi Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It prefers lowland, submontane and montane forests which are either moist and evergreen, swampy or on coastal dunes. It is also found along forest edges, in clearings and on river banks from sea level to 1,800 metres. It is one of some 120 species currently recognised, which occur primarily in Africa and southern Asia with a single vagrant species in Central America. The species is named after Gustav Mann (1836–1916), a German botanist, who corresponded with John Gilbert Baker.
Kewa is a genus of flowering plants, consisting of eight species of succulent sub-woody plants, native to eastern and southern Africa, including Saint Helena and Madagascar. These are small shrubs or herbs that form cushions and have edible, acid-tasting leaves. Kewa is the only genus in the family Kewaceae.
The southern giraffe, also known as two-horned giraffe, is a species of giraffe native to Southern Africa. However, the IUCN currently recognizes only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies.
Entada burkei, commonly known as the elephant root or sumach bean, is a deciduous shrub or small tree in the mimosoid clade of legumes. It is native to southern Africa, in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Northern Provinces of South Africa. It grows on rocky slopes or ridges, in either woodland, grassland or scrubland. The species is named after the botanist Joseph Burke.