''Donella viridifolia'', commonly known as fluted milkwood, is a potentially large (up to 20 m tall) species of evergreen milkwood tree that occurs in East African coastal forests, southerly coastal forest mosaics and in some inland forests of the tropics and subtropics.

Range and habitat

It is native to

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

, eastern

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

Eswatini Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa on all sides except the northeast, where i ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

( KZN and

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

provinces). Its habitat is coastal forest northwards of

East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...

, and

montane forests Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

of the Chimanimani range and

Description

The trunk may be fluted at the base, and the greyish bark is fairly smooth and mottled. Young branches and the undersides of leaves are covered in reddish

indumentum In biology, an indumentum (Latin, literally: "garment") is a covering of trichomes (fine "hairs") on a plant or of bristles (rarely scales) of an insect. Plants The indumentum on plants can have a wide variety of functions, including as ...

. The blunt-tipped, oblong leaves measure some 4-9 by 1.5-5 cm. The indented midrib is connected to a sub-marginal vein by numerous, closely spaced parallel veins. The wavy margin is entire. The white flowers are borne in axillary clusters. The edible fruit are almost round and slightly ribbed, and ripen to a yellow colour.

Gallery

File:Chrysophyllum viridifolium, bas, Manie van der Schijff BT, b.jpg, File:Chrysophyllum viridifolium, blare, Manie van der Schijff BT, a.jpg, File:Chrysophyllum viridifolium, blare, Manie vd Schijff BT, b.jpg, File:Chrysophyllum viridifolium, blaar-bearing, Manie vd Schijff BT, a.jpg, File:Chrysophyllum viridifolium, blomme, Manie vd Schijff BT, b.jpg,

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q98086284, from2=Q11690332 Fruits originating in Africa Trees of Africa Flora of Kenya Flora of Mozambique Flora of Malawi Flora of Swaziland Flora of South Africa Flora of Zimbabwe Flora of the Afrotropical realm Donella Southern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic Plants described in 1911 Taxa named by François Pellegrin