''Rothmannia capensis'' is a South African tree belonging to the
Rubiaceae, usually about 5 m high in the open, but reaching 20 m under forest conditions. It occurs from the south-western
Cape Province along the coastal regions and inland to the
Waterberg and
Soutpansberg in the
Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...
. It is a common tree on the
Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. It produces abundant sweetly fragrant flowers in summer, and these are followed by smooth, dark green spherical fruits about 80mm in diameter. The blackish bark has a distinctive rectangular pattern of fine cracks.
The genus was named for
Göran Rothman Göran (Georg) Rothman (30 November 1739, in Husebybruk, Småland, Sweden – 3 December 1778, in Stockholm), was a Swedish naturalist, physician and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.
His father, Johan Stensson Rothman, was a teacher of Logic ...
(1739–1778) by
Thunberg – both were pupils of
Linnaeus.
External links
Apostles of Linnaeus*
Trees of South Africa
capensis
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