Ekebergia capensis

Ekebergia capensis Sparrm.

Common names

Cape ash, dog plum (English); mwela, mwelwa, wela (Bemba); chilusa (Bemba/Kunda); kasolowe, mdyanyandi, msirima, mtonduko, mtutumuko (Nyanja).

The genus Ekebergia is named after Charles Gustavus Ekeberg, a Swedish sea captain who took the famous Swedish botanist Anders Sparrman on a voyage to China in 1765.

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Ekebergia capensis is an evegreen or semi-evergreen tree up to 30 m in height, sometimes with a buttressed bole. Bark grey-brown to grey-black, reticulate with square flakes; branchlets lenticelled. Leaves compound, alternate, imparipinnate up to 50 cm long with 3-6 pairs of leaflets plus the terminal leaf. Leaflets lanceolate to oblanceolate, hairless, up to 9.5 x 3.5 cm. Leaflets glossy green, sometimes with a pinkish margin. Margin entire. Flowers small, fragrant, greenish white tinged with pink and borne in axillary sprays 15-30 cm long, each bearing 12-70 flowers (August-October). Fruit a spherical pink or reddish drupe, 1.5 cm in diameter, containing 2-4 seeds (November to January).

Range and habitat

In the Luangwa valley Ekebergia capensis is an occasional tree in riparian woodland but is nowhere common. Elsewhere in Africa it occurs from Ethiopia to the Cape throughout eastern tropical Africa.