Anacardiaceae
Searsia
Searsia pyroides

Searsia pyroides var. pyroides

This variety is accepted
The native range of this variety is Ethiopia to S. Africa. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Anacardiaceae, Rosette Fernandes and A. Fernandes. Flora Zambesiaca 2:2. 1966

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or tree up to 9 m. tall; branches ochraceous or brownish-reddish, ± densely pubescent with somewhat long hairs or puberulous.
Morphology Leaves Petiole
Petiole 1·5–6 cm. long, subcylindric or nearly so, ± densely hairy, rarely more than half as long as the median leaflet.
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets ± discolorous, green or dark-green above and paler or ochraceous below, or concolorous (light green), papyraceous to subcoriaceous, with ± appressed hairs on the upper surface and patent ones on the under surface, entire or with some teeth in the upper part; median leaflet 4–10·5 × 2·4–6 cm., elliptic or ovate to obovate or subcircular, rounded, truncate or emarginate (rarely acute) at the apex, cuneate and sessile at the base, or contracted into a very short petiolule; lateral leaflets c. 1/3–1/2 as long as the median, with ±; asymmetric base and obtuse or rarely acute apex; midrib a little raised above, more so below, lateral nerves slender, arcuate, not prominent or sunk on the upper surface, raised beneath, as also the reticulation (sometimes concealed by the indumentum) which is visible on the upper surface in the oldest leaves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicles terminal and axillary in the upper leaf-axils, forming a large inflorescence (c. 30 cm. long), ± densely hairy, the terminal ones frequently with some bract-like leaves at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers shortly pedicellate or subsessile, glomerulate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-segments c. 0·5 mm. long, ovate, hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals yellow or whitish, c. 1 mm. long, oblong-ovate, obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Drupe red or brownish-red, c. 5 mm. in diam., globose.
[FZ]

Anacardiaceae, J. O. Kokwaro (University of Nairobi). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1986

Morphology General Habit
Shrub or tree up to 10 m. high; branches ochraceous or brownish reddish, somewhat densely pubescent with long hairs or puberulous.
Morphology Leaves
Petiole 1.5–3(–6) cm. long, subcylindric, pubescent; median leaflets ovate to obovate, elliptic or subcircular, 4–10.5 cm. long, 2–6.5 cm. broad, rounded and truncate or emarginate (rarely acute) at the apex, cuneate and sessile or shortly petiolulate at the base; lateral leaflets normally 1/2–3/4 as long as the median, obtuse or rarely acute at the apex, somewhat asymmetric at the base; all leaflets somewhat discolorous, green or dark green above and paler or ochraceous below, or concolorous (light green), papyraceous to subcoriaceous, with rather appressed hairs on the upper surface and spreading ones beneath, margin entire or sometimes toothed towards the apex; midrib slightly raised above and prominent beneath; lateral nerves slender and raised beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicles up to 20 cm. long, terminal and in the upper leaf-axils, densely hairy, the terminal one usually with bractlike leaves at the base; flowers shortly pedicellate or sessile, glomerate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-segments ovate, ± 0.5 mm. long, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals oblong-ovate, ± 1 mm. long and 0.5 mm. broad, obtuse at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Drupe globose (flattish, discoid when dried), 3–5 mm. in diameter, red or brownish red.
Habitat
Upland evergreen bushland, forest edges, on hill slopes and valleys, on lake shores and along river banks, and in wooded grassland (often on termite mounds or other thicketed places); 800–2700 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 Cameroun to Ethiopia,
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0