Brabejum stellatifolium

국표에 없다.

This evergreen Tree with thick mottled bark and spreading crown and pitted stem is up to 8m high and branches may start near the ground.  Simple individual lanceolate Leaves lack stipules and may be collectively star-like, in whorls of 4 or more.  The small, white, fragrant, bisexual and 4-merous Flowers are in racemes.  Fruit is a densely velvety, low density, indehiscent drupe with one poisonous seed.

SA Tree No. 72.

Common names:  (Afr) Amandelhout, Bitteramandel, Bitteramandelboom, Bitteramandelhout, Doboontjie, Doboontjieboom, Ghoboom, Ghoboontjieboom, Ghoeboontjie, Ghoekoffieboontjie, Hotnotsamandel, Hotnotsamandelboom, Wilde-amandel, Wilde-amandelboom, Wildebitteramandelboom, Wildekastaaing, Wildekastaaingboom.  (Eng) African Almond, Bitter Almond, Cape Almond, Hottentots Almond, Wild Almond, Wild Chestnut.  Almonds are in the family Rosaceae.

Family: Proteaceae: (Protea family).  Members of this family occur mainly in the southern hemisphere.  Universal characteristics are few.  All are woody trees or shrubs.  Anthers are basifixed and the superior Ovary is sessile.  Flowers are contained in a compound inflorescence and 4 Tepals are present.  There are about 80 genera and at least 1 600 species including the Australian Macadamia.  (South Africa has now become one of the biggest producers of Macadamia nuts).  In South Africa, there are 16 genera and 300 species.  6 genera (examples on this website) have species that are trees.  These are Brabejum, Faurea, Leucadendron, Leucospermum, Mimetes and Protea.  Currently the genus Protea has the most species.  Protea gaguedi is the only species found in Namibia.  The South African Protea flowers all have a superior Ovary containing a single ovule.  The Stigma is a tiny groove resting on the top of the pollen presenter.  The Style is long and thin.  The silky appearance of the wood is due to the presence of medullary rays (are pith rays used for the radial conduction of water, minerals and organic substances).  Leaves are Sclerophyllous (type of drought resisting vegetation adapted to prevent water loss with hard, leathery, evergreen leaves that that develop on narrowly spaces nodes).  This family has similar Leaves to the Glossopteridales whose fossil leaf remains resemble the modern protea.  These fossils were prevalent more than 200 million years ago.  This was a time before the breakup of the super continent – Gondwanaland – due to continental drift.

Name derivation: Brabejum – Greek for septa.  This may refer to the prize at the games held in Delphi. It may also refer to the inflorescence that is a raceme.  stellatifolium star-shaped – referring to the whorled, thin, long leaves which, collectively, have a star like appearance.  stellatifolium is the only species in this genus.  This plant is endemic (Endemism is the ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location) in south-western South Africa and is closely related to the exotic Macadamia.  Brabejum stellatifolium is the only indigenous species of this genus in Africa.

Brabejum stellatifolium | Tree SA

 

 

 

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