Dombeya shupangae K. Schum.
var. shupangae

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Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road no. 2 between 1 and 4, Gorongosa National Park

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road no. 2 between 1 and 4, Gorongosa National Park

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road no. 2 between 1 and 4, Gorongosa National Park

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road no. 2 between 1 and 4, Gorongosa National Park

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along rd2, Gorongosa National Park.

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along rd2, Gorongosa National Park.

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along rd2, Gorongosa National Park.

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along rd2, Gorongosa National Park.

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along rd2, Gorongosa National Park.

Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along rd2, Gorongosa National Park.

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

Synonyms: Dombeya katangensis De Wild. & T.Durand
Dombeya mupangae K.Schum.
Dombeya shupangae K. Schum. var. katangensis (De Wild. & T.Durand) Bamps
Dombeya spectabilis sensu Sim
Common names: Large-leaved wild pear (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Small tree. Leaves broadly ovate to sub-circular, up to 20 cm long, leathery, 5-7-veined from the base, occasionally somewhat lobed; margin irregularly toothed in the apical half. Flowers in branched axillary heads, white to pale pink. Fruit a subspherical capsule, surrounded by the dried petals, which act as wings to aid dispersal by wind.
Type location:
Mozambique
Notes: This species appears to be very similar to D. rotundifolia except for its larger leaves. The most important difference concerns the ovary, which is covered in very small, club-shaped papillae and not with hairs (See image 10). This feature can only be seen with a strong lens.
Derivation of specific name: shupangae: of Shupanga, a mission on the banks of the lower Zambezi in Mozambique, where the type specimen was collected.
Habitat: In woodland and along the margins of low-altitude evergreen forest.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:Aug - Sep
Worldwide distribution: DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
FZ divisions: N,C
Growth form(s):
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 589. (Includes a picture).

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 20.

Germain, R. & Bamps, P. (1963). Sterculiaceae Flore du Congo du Ruanda et du Burundi Volume X Pages 252 - 253. as D. shupangae var. katangensis

Seyani, J.H. (1991). The Genus Dombeya (Sterculiaceae) in Continental Africa Opera Bot. Belg. 2 Pages 109 - 111.

Wild, H. (1960-1). Sterculiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2) Pages 519 - 526. (Includes a picture).


Other sources of information about Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae:

Our websites:

Flora of the DRC: Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae
Flora of Mozambique: Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae
Flora of Zambia: Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-26

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2026). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Dombeya shupangae var. shupangae.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=169650, retrieved 4 July 2026

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