Ochna puberula explained

Ochna puberula is a shrub or small sized tree with bright yellow petals that are surrounded by green sepals that turn red during fruiting.^[1] It belongs to the family Ochnaceae.^[2]

Description

A shrub or small sized tree capable of reaching 6 m tall with a greyish bark that is either smooth or fissured.^[3] When young, its stems have brownish lenticels on it. Leaves have stipules that are up to 8 mm long. Leaflets are obovate to oblanceolate in shape and their edges are often densely toothed, they are capable of reaching 8 cm in length and 3 cm in width, they have a rounded apex and a cuneate base. Inflorescence are in axillary racemes with yellow flowers borne on shortly pubescent pedicels.

Distribution

Occurs in Eastern and Southern Africa, in south western Uganda southwards to Zimbabwe.^[4] Found in open woodland and wooded grasslands and in rocky areas.

Notes and References

1. Shah . Toral . Mashimba . Fandey H. . Suleiman . Haji. O. . Mbailwa . Yahya S. . Savolainen . Vincent . Larridon . Isabel . Darbyshire . Iain . 2023 . A taxonomic revision of the ecologically important Ochna holstii (Ochnaceae) complex using molecular and morphological data . Plant Ecology and Evolution . 156 . 2 . 174–200 . 2032-3913.
2. Book: Van Wyk, Braam . Field guide to trees of Southern Africa . Van Wyk . Piet . 1997 . Struik Publishers (Pty) Ltd . 978-1-86825-922-9 . Cape Town . 150.
3. Balkwill . K. . 2020-09-01 . Ochna maguirei (Ochnaceae), a new species with corky bark from northern South Africa . South African Journal of Botany . 133 . 298–306 . 10.1016/j.sajb.2020.07.014 . 0254-6299. free .
4. Web site: Ochna puberula N.Robson Plants of the World Online Kew Science . 2024-03-21 . Plants of the World Online . en.