''Searsia glauca'' (or the blue kuni-rhus) is a small, compact tree or bush native to 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 ...

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 ...

. Although commonest near the coast, it is also found inland among

fynbos Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...

vegetation. ''Searsia glauca'' has potential medicinal effects and antioxidant properties that can aid in the prevention of cell injury or death.

Description

Retuse obtuse leaf of Searsia glauca IMG 9112

The leaves are characteristically glossy/shiny and often a slightly glaucous (blue-green) colour. The leaves are trifoliate, with three obtuse (obcordate-cuneate) leaflets. It is

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruits reach a maximum diameter of 5 mm (distinguishing it from '' Searsia undulata'' which has 3mm fruits).Coates Palgrave, M. (2002) ''Trees of southern Africa''. Struik, Cape Town.

Distribution

This species occurs along the coast of

, as well as in certain areas inland. It occurs from

Velddrif Velddrif (the name of the town) or Velddrift (the name of the farm on which the town was established), is a coastal fishing town in the Bergrivier Local Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa. The town had a population 12507 in 2015 and is locat ...

and

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

in the west, eastwards into the

Eastern Cape Province 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 ...

. Inland it occurs in the

Little Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe Khoemana (also known as !Orakobab or Korana) word is a semidesert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its extent i ...

, around Worcester, Oudtshoorn, Baviaanskloof and northwards into Zimbabwe.

References

glauca Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces Fynbos Trees of South Africa Dioecious plants {{Anacardiaceae-stub