__NOTOC__ ''Peltophorum africanum'', the weeping wattle, is a semi-

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 Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

to deciduous

flowering Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

growing to about 15 meters tall. It is native to Africa south of the equator. Their yellow flowers bloom on the ends of branches in upright, showy sprays. During spring time it may happen that water drips from the tree's branches, a phenomenon that is caused by the spittlebug '' Ptyelus grossus''. The immature stages of these spittlebugs congregate on the young shoots and derive their nourishment by sucking the tree's sap. While doing so they secrete pure water, which is the cause of the "weeping" effect.

Common names

Other common names include Rhodesian blackwood, African blackwood, Mosetlha, African wattle, African false wattle, Rhodesian wattle and Rhodesian black wattle.''Ressources Végétales de L'Afrique Tropicale (PROTA)'' vol 11, part 1 "Plantes médicinales, p. 446, PROTA, 2008 . It is called Huilboom (i.e. weeping tree) in Afrikaans, due to the effects of the spittlebug.

Gallery

Peltophorum africanum, blomme, Blouberg NR, b.jpg, Peltophorum africanum, sade, Jan Celliers Park.jpg, Peltophorum africanum00.jpg, Peltophorum africanum03.jpg,

References

External links

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Peltophorum africanum Sond.
Protabase africanum Taxa named by Otto Wilhelm Sonder {{Caesalpinioideae-stub