''Apodytes dimidiata'' (white pear or umDakane) is a bushy tree with white flowers bearing a fragrance reminiscent of fresh coconut, and small black and red fruits. It is usually about 5 m tall (but reaches a height of 20 m when growing in deep forest), and it is indigenous to

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number ...

. The taxonomical family placement for this and other ''Apodytes'' was uncertain; it is now placed in the

Metteniusaceae Metteniusaceae are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the order Metteniusales. It consists of about 10 genera and 50 species of trees, shrubs, and lianas, primarily of the tropics. The family was formerly restricted to just '' Mett ...

. Its English common name is in reference to the timber which is similar in appearance to that of the European

pear tree Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the po ...

of the northern hemisphere.

Description

In the open, this

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

species grows as a tall shrub or small tree of about 5 m in height. However, in a more shady environment, such as deep afro-montane forest, it can reach a height of over 20 m. Its dense, shiny foliage is bright-green and it has smooth, gray bark. It frequently produces masses of tiny, white, bisexual

blossom In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus '' Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such a ...

s which have a sweet fragrance. These are followed by strangely curved, black and scarlet berries. In South Africa this is officially a protected tree. This is a very difficult tree to identify at first. In particular, it is often confused with ''Pterocelastrus rostratus'', including at the

First International Forestry Exhibition The First International Forestry Exhibition was a world's fair held in 1884 was the first international gathering focusing on forestry. It was opened by the Marquess of Lothian and held in the grounds of Donaldson's College, Edinburgh, Scotland ...

. The best identifying characteristics of ''Apodytes dimidiata'' are its petiole and young terminal branchlets which are a unique reddish colour.

Distribution

''Apodytes dimidiata'' is a prominent and common tree in South African forests. It grows naturally from

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second larges ...

in the south, all the way along the east coast of

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number ...

as far north as

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and inland as far as

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

. It is usually found in coastal thicket, afro-montane forest and mountainous bushveld. The actual distribution has been difficult to determine due to large number of synonyms (about 30+) used for this particular species in various countries. According to the synonyms usage, it is thought that the species has much broader distribution than was thought earlier, and may spread towards the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...

as well.

Cultivation

This tree's characteristics (

attractive foliage; fruits that are not fleshy and therefore will not cause a mess; and a gentle non-invasive root system that will not damage paving) mean that ''Apodytes dimidiata'' is an ideal tree to plant around paved areas, near swimming pools, next to buildings, in small gardens and also anywhere that may need shade throughout the year. The white pear is best propagated by seed, though germination is extremely slow. The seed takes about half a year to germinate and the young plants are also relatively slow growing. However, these trees grow very much faster as they become larger and more established.

References

External links

''Apodytes dimidiata'' at PlantZAfrica.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4780197 Afromontane flora Flora of South Africa Trees of South Africa Protected trees of South Africa Trees of Mediterranean climate Metteniusaceae