Searsia lucida

Searsia lucida, previously known as Rhus lucida, and other names varnished kuni-rhus (English) blinktaaibos (Afrikaans).[1]

Searsia lucida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Sapindales
Family:
Anacardiaceae
Genus:
Searsia
Species:
S. lucida
Binomial name
Searsia lucida

Description
Leaf detail of Searsia lucida.

The tree seldom reaches a height of more than 2 metres and can spread as a shrub over several meters too. The young stems are red, shiny, resinous and sticky.

The leaves are shiny ("lucida" = "shiny"), trifoliate, leathery and olive-green. The three leaflets are sub-coriaceous and obovate-cuneate, often with small notches in their rounded tips. The leaflets are the same colour above and below, with a prominent central keel and fine lateral veins visible. Damaged leaf-surfaces become pale, almost white.

The leaf's petiole (stalk) is slightly winged, at least along its upper half.

It produces creamy-white flowers from June to October, in small, sparse, terminal inflorescences. The flowers are small, with petals less than 2 mm long.

It bears spherical fruits 4 mm in diameter, which are initially green and turn shiny brown as they mature (Oct-Nov). The fruits are eaten by birds.[2]

This species closely resembles Searsia pallens and Searsia undulata, which co-occur over much of its distribution range.

Searsia pallens also has a petiole that is slightly winged, but it has ovoid fruits, and leaves with 4 to 6 lateral veins per centimeter. Searsia lucida however, has a rounded fruit, and fewer lateral veins on its leaves (only 2 or 3 per centimeter).[3]

Distribution and habitat

This small tree has a distribution along the West Coast of South Africa from Saldanha Bay around the Cape and up the East Coast almost until the Mozambique border. Its distribution area also encompasses the whole of Kwazulu-Natal and stretches in an arm past Swaziland, right up the Lowveld areas of Mpumalanga and into Limpopo Province, almost to the Zimbabwe border.

It is found in scrub or forest areas from sea level to 2000 metres above.

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References
  1. "Searsia lucida (L.) F.A.Barkley forma lucida". Red List of South African Plants. SANBI. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  2. http://pza.sanbi.org/searsia-lucida
  3. Coates Palgrave, M. (2002) Trees of southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town.


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