Synadenium kirkii N.E. Br.

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Synadenium kirkii

Photo: Rob Burrett
National Botanic Garden, Harare.

Synadenium kirkii

Photo: Rob Burrett
National Botanic Garden, Harare.

Synadenium kirkii

Photo: Rob Burrett
National Botanic Garden, Harare.

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Synonyms: Synadenium gazense N.E. Br.
Synadenium grantii sensu N.E. Br.
Common names: Northern dead-man's tree (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Shrub or small tree with fleshy stems and branches. Milky latex present. Leaves spirally arranged, crowded near the ends of branches, c. 11-18 cm long, thick and fleshy, green, often tinged purple-red, more or less broadly obovate, subsessile, pubescent on the basal part and the margins above, more densely so below; midrib prominent below. Flowers in sub-umbellate axillary and terminal heads, yellowish-green, unisexual on the same tree. Fruit acutely lobed, c. 6.5 mm, pale brown, thinly pubescent, dehiscent.
Notes: See Synadenium cameronii for comparison, which is best distinguished by the leaves being entirely hairless.
Derivation of specific name: kirkii: named after Dr John Kirk, who accompanied David Livingstone on his Zambezi expedition of 1858
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Flowering time:Apr - May
Worldwide distribution: Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.
Malawi distribution: N,C,S
Growth form(s): Climber, 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 472. (Includes a picture).

Carter, S. & Leach, L.C. (2001). Euphorbiaceae: subfamily Euphorbioideae: tribe Euphorbieae Flora Zambesiaca 9(5) Pages 437 - 438.

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 43.

Other sources of information about Synadenium kirkii:

Our websites:

Flora of Mozambique: Synadenium kirkii
Flora of Zimbabwe: Synadenium kirkii

External websites:

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


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: Synadenium kirkii.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=136460, retrieved 19 March 2024

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