Schrebera trichoclada

Schrebera trichoclada Welw.

Common names

Wooden pear tree (English); kabaya, kampande, kampande-mpande, kanyampande, kapande, kapande-wampanga, musonga (Bemba); kambaku-mbaku, mutyoka (Kunda); kambele-mbenda, mpumba-fumba, mfyoka, mkakato, mwomba-mbezi, mpyoka, ngambo-njazi, nsangano (Nyanja); mpyoka (Tumbuka).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Schrebera trichoclada is a small to medium-sized tree up to 12 m in height, and is most easily recognised by its woody, pear-shaped fruit, which split into two and can persist on the tree for quite some time. Bark grey, lenticelled, smooth and flaking in older specimens like a plane tree. Young branchlets have conspicuous corky lenticels. Leaves simple, opposite, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, up to 12 x 7 cm with prominent reticulate veining beneath giving the leaf a ‘quilted’ appearance. Flowers yellow with a dark red centre, up to 2 cm long, produced in axillary or terminal 2-7 flowered inflorescences (September-January). Fruit a wooden, pear-shaped dehiscent capsule, 6 x 3 cm, ripening light brown with scattered lenticels. The capsule splits into two, releasing winged seeds of up to 5 x 1.5 cm (February onwards).

Range and habitat

Schrebera trichoclada occurs throughout the Zambezian region, extending north to Tanzania and westwards to Angola and Namibia. In the Luangwa Valley, it is found in mixed alluvial thicket, Combretum thicket, on termite mounds and in Mopane woodland on sand.