''Burchellia'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules ...

. The genus contains only one

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

, viz. ''Burchellia bubalina'', which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to southern Africa: the

Cape Provinces The Cape Provinces of South Africa is a biogeographical area used in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It is part of the WGSRPD region 27 Southern Africa. The area has the code "CPP". It includes the Sou ...

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is loca ...

and the

Northern Provinces The Northern Provinces of South Africa is a biogeographical area used in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It is part of the WGSRPD region 27 Southern Africa. The area has the code "TVL". It includes the So ...

in South Africa, and

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its ...

. It is commonly known as "wild pomegranate" (English) or "wildegranaat" (Afrikaans).

Description

''Burchellia bubalina'' is a small shrub or tree up to 8 metres tall. It has red flowers, grey-green bark and dark green leaves.

Uses

The species is widely cultivated in frost-free gardens as an ornamental tree and has become a weed in some regions.

Systematics

The name of the genus was given in honour of

William John Burchell __NOTOC__ William John Burchell (23 July 1781 – 23 March 1863) was an English explorer, naturalist, traveller, artist, and author. His thousands of plant specimens, as well as field journals from his South African expedition, are held by K ...

, an African explorer.

Taxonomy

The taxon was revised by John Sims in the species' first description in ''

Curtis's Botanical Magazine ''The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed'', is an illustrated publication which began in 1787. The longest running botanical magazine, it is widely referred to by the subsequent name ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine''. Each of the issue ...

'' in 1822.Sims, John. 1822. Botanical Magazine 49: t. 2339 He gives this account of the earlier taxonomic history:

In the '' Supplementum Plantarum'' of the younger Linnæus this plant was referred to the genus ''
Lonicera Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both conti ...
'', but as it belongs to the natural order of
Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules ...
it will by no means associate with that genus.
Persoon Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1 February 1761 – 16 November 1836) was a German mycologist who made additions to Linnaeus' mushroom taxonomy. Early life Persoon was born in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, the third child of an immig ...
joined it with Swartz's ''Cephælis'', the ''Tapocomea'' of
Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet (November 4, 1720 – May 6, 1778) was a French pharmacist, botanist and one of the earliest botanical explorers in South America.JSTOR He was one of the first botanists to study ethnobotany in the Neo ...
and
Bernard de Jussieu Bernard de Jussieu (; 17 August 1699 – 6 November 1777) was a French naturalist, younger brother of Antoine de Jussieu. Bernard de Jussieu was born in Lyon. He took a medical degree at Montpellier and began practice in 1720, but finding the w ...
; but Mr. Brown not finding it to accord with any established genus, has considered it as distinct from any, and given it the name of ''Burchellia'' in honour of Mr. Burchell, a very enterprising traveller in Southern Africa, who has favoured the public with an interesting account of his travels in that country. And, certainly, persons who, in spite of deprivations and difficulties, spend a large portion of their valuable time in such hazardous undertakings, for the promotion of science, merit this only reward of the botanist; but we can by no means approve of altering the specific name, which, when once established, should remain inviolate, except for very particular reasons; we have therefore thought it right to restore the name of bubalina.

Following the formal description, he wrote as follows:

''Burchellia bubalina'' is a native of the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is ...
, where it is called Buffelhorn or Buffaloe-Horn, a name given it by the colonists from the extreme hardness of its wood. Flowers in the spring or summer. Requires to be protected from frost and we believe has seldom blossomed in this country without the assistance of the heat of the stove. Communicated by Messrs. Loddiges and Sons.

References

External links

''Burchellia'' in the World Checklist of Rubiaceae

* ttp://kumbulanursery.co.za/plants/burchellia-bubalina Kumbula Indigenous Nursery, ''Burchellia bubalina'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q134245 Monotypic Rubiaceae genera Ixoroideae Flora of the Cape Provinces Flora of KwaZulu-Natal Flora of the Northern Provinces Flora of Swaziland Edible fruits