Thilachium africanum Lour.

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Thilachium africanum

Photo: Colin Wenham
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Colin Wenham
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Colin Wenham
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Colin Wenham
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
Catapu Concession, Sofala.

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park.

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chitengo Camp, Gorongosa National Park.

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road no3, Gorongosa National Park.

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road no3, Gorongosa National Park.

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Bart Wursten
Sandforest loop, Gorongosa National Park

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Bart Wursten
Tembwahata pans, Gonarezhou National Park.

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Mark Hyde
Near Mahenye Village

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Mark Hyde
Near Mahenye Village

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Mark Hyde
Near Mahenye Village

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Mark Hyde
Camp by Turgwe River, Humani Ranch

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Mark Hyde
Camp by Turgwe River, Humani Ranch

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Mark Hyde
Camp by Turgwe River, Humani Ranch

Thilachium africanum

Photo: Mark Hyde
Camp by Turgwe River, Humani Ranch

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Thilachium verrucosum Klotzsch
Thylachium africanum Lour.
Common names: Cucumber-bush (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Shrub or small tree. Leaves simple or 3-foliolate, elliptic to obovate, up to 10 cm long, dark green, leathery, hairless; midrib sunken above, prominent below; apex round or notched with a hair-like tip; petiole up to 6 cm long, not grooved. Flowers in axillary or terminal few-flowered heads, without petals, stamens numerous, white to cream. Fruit cylindric-oblong, up to 6 cm long, distinctly longitudinally ribbed, indehiscent
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: africanum: of Africa
Habitat: In hot and dry open woodland and thickets.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:Aug - Oct
Worldwide distribution: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Madagascar.
Malawi distribution: S
Growth form(s): Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 166. (Includes a picture).

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 238.

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 32.

Wild, H. (1960). Capparaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Pages 213 - 215. As Thylacium africanum (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Thilachium africanum:

Our websites:

Flora of Mozambique: Thilachium africanum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Thilachium africanum

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Thilachium africanum
African Plant Database: Thilachium africanum
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Thilachium africanum
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Thilachium africanum
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Thilachium africanum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Thilachium africanum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Thilachium africanum
JSTOR Plant Science: Thilachium africanum
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Thilachium africanum
Plants of the World Online: Thilachium africanum
Tropicos: Thilachium africanum
Wikipedia: Thilachium africanum


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Thilachium africanum.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=124710, retrieved 28 March 2024

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