Combretum imberbe

Combretum imberbe Wawra

Common names

Leadwood (English); musimbiti (Bemba); munyonja (Kunda); chilusa, mkolongonjo, mnangali, msimbiti, mlita, nyonje (Nyanja)

General description and distinguishing characteristics

One of the valley’s great trees, the leadwood grows up to 30m tall, although is usually smaller. It also takes the form of a shrub. Bark light grey to whitish, deeply reticulate like the skin of a crocodile; branchlets hairless, often becoming spiny. Leaves simple, opposite or sub-opposite, comparatively small, 2.5-8.5 x 1-3 cm, papery, narrowly elliptic to elliptic oblong with wavy margins. Both leaf surfaces are covered with silvery scales. Petiole 4-10 mm long. Flowers greenish yellow and produced in spikes up to 10 cm long, terminal or in the axils of the leaves (October-January). Fruit sub-circular, 1-3-1.8 cm in diameter; four-winged, straw-coloured, dotted with silvery scales.

Range and habitat

Combretum imberbe occurs from Tanzania southwards. In the valley it is found in valley riverine fringe woodland and thicket, and is particularly associated with flood channels and plains on heavy, cracking clay.