Commiphora pyracanthoides

Commiphora pyracanthoides Engl.

Common names

Firethorn corkwood (English); chitonto (Bemba); nsofwa (Kunda).

The English name ‘Firethorn corkwood’ refers to the bright orange-red colour of the leaves of this species in the dry season.

General description and distinguishing characteristics

A small shrub, 1-2 m tall. Bark smooth, grey and papery; branchlets glabrous, spiny. Leaves single (occasionally with two tiny lateral leaflets), produced in clusters on the ends of the branches or on short side shoots. Leaves up to 7 x 3 cm but often smaller; obovate, shiny, hairless, mid-green, paler below with occasional glands; margins coarsely toothed. Petiole up to 2 mm long. Flowers produced before the leaves in clusters on side shoots or borne on the spines. Inconspicuous, greenish pink petals 4-5 mm long; calyx 2 mm long without glands or sparsely glandular (September-October). Fruit ovoid, 7-9 mm in diameter, with a pointed apex, green, hairless; pseudaril 3-4 lobed but rarely present (October-February).

Commiphora pyracanthoides is closely related to Commiphora glandulosa (see above). The latter species is a small tree with glandular laflets and a densely glandular calyx.

Range and habitat

Commiphora pyracanthoides is found throughout the Zambezian region, usually in dry deciduous woodland or on termite mounds. In the Luangwa valley it is associated with mopane scrub woodland and mopane woodland on sand.