''Combretum hereroense'', commonly known as the russet bushwillow and the mouse-eared combretum, is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

shrub or small tree that is found from eastern Africa to northern

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

. Over its extensive range it is variable with respect to leaf shape, fruit size and indumentum.

Range and habitat

It is found in southern

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...

, southern

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the Er ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The south ...

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

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northe ...

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are ...

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Mala ...

, southern

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

, northern

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and e ...

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kal ...

and northern

. They occur from near sea level to about 1,500 m, or locally to 2,700 m.a.s.l. They are a constituent of dry, open bushland of various types, including

mopane ''Colophospermum mopane'', commonly called mopane, mopani, balsam tree, butterfly tree, or turpentine tree, is a tree in the legume family ( Fabaceae), that grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern ...

and secondary gusu woodlands. They are regularly present on termite mounds, the fringes of pans, marshes and dambos, or on river banks (in northern Kenya). They occur in flat or rocky terrain, and thrive on sandy or silty substrates.

Description

Habit

It is a much-branched,

coppicing Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, which is called a copse, young tree stems are repeated ...

shrub with drooping or rising branches. They grow to between 5 and 12 metres tall.

Leaves

The simple, elliptic or obovate leaves are said to be shaped like mouse ears, hence the name Mouse-eared combretum. The leaves are glabrous above and velvety below, and are carried on short lateral twigs. They usually have 3 to 4 pairs of lateral nerves.

Flowers

The plants produce spikes with creamy white to yellowish flowers in the austral spring time, frequently before the foliage appears.

Fruit

The rufous brown, four-winged samaras average about 2 cm in diameter.

Uses

Dried leaves are used for tea, the gum is eaten, the wood is harvested for fuel, and the roots are used in traditional medicine.

Races and varieties

The accepted races and varieties are: * ''Combretum hereroense'' subsp. ''hereroense'' – southern Africa ** ''C. hereroense'' var. ''parvifolium'' (Engl.) Wickens ** ''C. hereroense'' var. ''villosissimum'' Engl. & Diels * ''Combretum hereroense'' subsp. ''grotei'' (Exell) Wickens – Somalia * ''Combretum hereroense'' subsp. ''volkensii'' (Engl.) Wickens – Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Gallery

Combretum hereroense, loof, Steenbokpan.jpg, Combretum hereroense, vrugte, Steenbokpan, a.jpg, Russet Bushwillow (Combretum hereroense) (13625601564).jpg,

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13035166 hereroense Trees of Africa Trees of Southern Africa Trees of South Africa Flora of Mozambique Flora of Tanzania Flora of Malawi Flora of Zambia Flora of Angola Flora of Ethiopia Flora of Somalia Flora of Kenya Plants described in 1888