Ochna cinnabarina Engl. & Gilg

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Habit
Kalahari woodland
Lusu area, Sesheke District
Dec 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

Flower
Kalahari woodland
Lusu area, Sesheke District
Dec 2023
Photo: Nick Wightman

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Synonyms:	Diporidium cinnabarina (Engl. & Gilg) Tiegh.
Common names:
Frequency:	Rare
Status:
Description:	Dense shrub or shrublet 0.6–1.8 m high, deciduous, with smooth bark; branches virgate, terete, purple-brown and densely whitish-lenticellate at first, becoming dark grey with small lenticels. Leaves petiolate; lamina 1.8–4.3 (6·5) x 0.7–1.5 cm, elliptic to narrowly oblong or more rarely oblanceolate, obtuse to rounded and mucronate at the apex, with margin finely spinulose-serrulate, broadly cuneate to rounded at the base, herbaceous, sometimes somewhat glaucous. Flowers solitary, terminating short shoots in axils of previous year's leaves; pedicels 1–1.5 (1.7) cm long in fruit, articulated 3–6 mm from the base. Sepals 8–9 mm long in flower, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, rounded, becoming scarlet, 14–20 mm long, flat and spreading in fruit. Petals bright yellow, 17–18 × 9–10 mm, obovate-rhombic. Stamens with anthers c. 2.5 mm long, about 3/4 as long to as long as the filaments, straight. Drupelets flattened-ovoid-cylindric, inserted near the base, 9–11 × 5–7 (8) mm.
Type location:	Angola
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	cinnabarina: vermillion, presumably refering to the bright scarlet red fruiting sepals.
Habitat:	Forest margins, open scrub and rver banks on Kalahari sand.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Nov - Dec
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca):	B,S
Zambian distribution (Provinces):	S,W
Growth form(s):	Shrub under 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Thursday 11 April 2024
Literature:	Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 458 - 459. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 260. 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 64. Robson, N.K.B. (1963). Ochnaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(1) Page 236. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 90.

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Flora of Botswana: Ochna cinnabarina
Flora of Caprivi: Ochna cinnabarina
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ochna cinnabarina

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ochna cinnabarina
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ochna cinnabarina
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ochna cinnabarina
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iNaturalist: Ochna cinnabarina
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ochna cinnabarina
JSTOR Plant Science: Ochna cinnabarina
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ochna cinnabarina
Plants of the World Online: Ochna cinnabarina
Tropicos: Ochna cinnabarina
Wikipedia: Ochna cinnabarina