Protorhus longifolia
| Red beech | |
|---|---|
| File:Protorhus longifolia KirstenboschBotGard09292010B.jpg | |
| File:Protorhus longifolia 20D 3766.jpg | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Genus: | Protorhus |
| Species: | P. longifolia
|
| Binomial name | |
| Protorhus longifolia | |
| File:Red beech (Protorhus longifolia) IUCN range 2018.svg | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
_IUCN_range_2018.svg){kind=link}
Protorhus longifolia, commonly known as red beech, is a medium to large, mostly dioecious species of tree in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South Africa and Eswatini, where it occurs in well-watered situations from coastal elevations to 1,250 m.[2] The leafy, evergreen trees have rounded crowns and usually grow between 6 and 10 m tall, but regularly taller in forest.[2]
Range
[edit | edit source]In South Africa they occur from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo.[3] In Eswatini it is present in the western uplands, and in the Lebombo regions.[4] They occur in coastal, scarp and mistbelt forests, rock outcrops, escarpments, riparian fringes, or in woodland.[5]
Bole and branches
[edit | edit source]The bole is up to 1 m in diameter in forest. The bark of a young tree is smooth and brown, but becomes darker and rough with age.[5] The branches have a rough texture and retain leaf scars.[2] They exude a sticky milky sap when broken.[5]
Foliage
[edit | edit source]The trees often carry some strikingly yellow or red leaves, especially in winter[2] or on new growth. The simple leaves resemble Mango leaves, and have a scattered, alternate or subopposite arrangement.[5] They measure up to 15 by 3 cm,[2] and are paler below than above. They are glabrous and leathery in texture, and linear-oblong to narrowly elliptic in shape.[6] The leaf margins may be frilled or wavy and are tightly rolled under.[5][7]
The primary, lateral veins have a straight and parallel arrangement. They terminate on, and often fork near the leaf margin. There are up to 40 veins a side,[2] which are prominently raised below.[6] They are light in colour, contrasting with the dark, glossy upper surfaces.[8]
Flowers
[edit | edit source]The flowers are small (±4 mm in diameter) and are carried in axillary[2] or terminal panicles.[3] They are greenish-white (male)[4] or pink to red, and appear in early spring (August to October).[7] The ovary is ovoid and the calyx is saucer-shaped. The floral parts are in fives,[7] but female flowers have three styles.[4]
Fruit
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The indehiscent fruit which appear from October to December, are smooth, fleshy drupes[6] that mature to a pale mauve colour[8] in autumn.[2] Each contains a single seed.[6] (cf. Ozoroa)
Species interactions and uses
[edit | edit source]Various forest mammals and birds feed on the fruit while on the tree, or after they are dropped, while the bark and foliage are browsed by Black rhino.[3]
The fine-grained wood has been used for furniture, planks[3][5] and fence posts,[9] but is not considered very durable.[7] The ground up bark, though somewhat poisonous, is used as "red" muti (Zulu: uMuthi-embomvu).[5] The sticky milky sap has been used a glue, for instance to fix assegai blades to their handles, or as a depilatory.[7]
The species can be cultivated from fresh seed and does well in gardens. They are useful as specimen trees or screening plants,[8] and grow relatively fast, up to 80 cm a year.[3] Though it thrives in warm, moist regions, it is also tolerant of drought and slight frost.[8]
Gallery
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Old bark texture
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Young foliage
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Habit in forest
References
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