Celtis mildbraedii (Red-fruit white-stinkwood)

Rooivrugwitstinkhout [Afrikaans]

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Rosids > Eurosid I >  Order: Rosales > Family: Cannabaceae > Genus: Celtis

Celtis mildbraedii, Catapu, Mozambique. [photos Meg Coates Palgrave ©, Flora of Mozambique]

Identification

See comparison of native Celtis and Trema species. A large tree growing to a height of 30 m and found in forest. Compared to the other Celtis species, the 3-veined leaf base is not noticeable as the lateral veins end less than a third of the way up the leaf. The fruit are red whereas in the other two native Celtis species they are yellow (and purple/black in the related Trema orientalis).

Distribution and habitat

Distribution includes KwaZulu-Natal, near coast; also northern Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe. Beyond southern Africa, it is found as far north as West Africa and Sudan.

Ecological interactions

• Nest site for:
  • birds
    • Accipiter melanoleucus (Black sparrowhawk)

Uses

No information.

Links

• Celtis mildbraedii Engl. (Flora of Zimbabwe)

References

• Palgrave, K.C. and Palgrave, M.C. 2002. Trees of Southern Africa. 3rd Edition. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
• Palmer, E. and Pitman, N. 1972. Trees of Southern Africa covering all known indigenous species in the Republic of South Africa, South-West Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. Volume 1. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town.
• van Wyk, B. and van Wyk, P. 1997. Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.

Text by Hamish Robertson