Combretum psidioides

Combretum psidioides Welw. subsp. psidioides Exell

Common names

Peeling bushwillow (English); mulondwe (Bemba); mulama (Bemba/Kunda/Nyanja); chikulyungi, nazizi, kakunguni, kalama, kangolo, kapumpa, mkute (Nyanja); kankalanga (Tumbuka).

The species name psidioides refers to Psidium – the guava – a reference to the peeling branches of this species.

General description and distinguishing characteristics

A deciduous shrub or small tree up to 10 m in height. Bark grey to black, deeply fissured and corky. Bark on branchlets peeling off in oblong sections to reveal reddish-brown underbark. Leaves simple, opposite, up to 7 x 3.5 cm, papery, elliptic or broadly elliptic, almost circular. Petiole up to 1.5 cm long. Flowers greenish-yellow to yellow, produced in dense axillary spikes up to 10 cm long, usually appearing with the new leaves (September-October). Fruit four-winged, 2-3 cm in diameter, bright red, drying red-brown (January-May).

Range and habitat

Combretum psidioides subsp. psidioides is found from Tanzania southwards throughout south tropical Africa. It is not recorded from South Africa. In the Luangwa valley it is found in hill miombo woodland in the foothills of the Muchinga escarpment. It is also often associated with rocky outcrops.