Lannea discolor

Lannea discolor (Sond) Engl.

Common names

Live long tree (English); babumba, kayimbe, nakabumbu, nakaumba (Bemba); kaumbu, kabumbu (Bemba/Kunda/Nyanja); tondotondo (Tumbuka).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Small deciduous tree to 15 m with a rounded crown, leaves clustered at the end of the stems, smooth pale grey bark. The lower surface of the leaves is covered with grey hairs, the upper surface is bright green. Flowers are yellow and produced when the tree is leafless in early spring.

Range and habitat

Combretum-Terminalia open woodland; Combretum-Terminalia-Diospyros wooded grassland

In the south park it is common on rocky slopes, especially President's Hill, and occasionally on sandy alluvium. Elsewhere occurs southwards to Swaziland and northern Namibia northwards into D.R. Congo.