Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius Baker

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Ruia River, Kariba.

Photo: Bart Wursten
By Mazowe River, between camp and weir, Hippo Pools

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Synonyms:	Lecaniodiscus vaughaniae Dunkley
Common names:	River-litchi (English)
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Small tree with dense foliage. Leaves paripinnate, up to 30 cm long with 3-7 pairs of leaflets; leaflets oblong to elliptic, 3-11 cm long, yellowish green to green above, thinly textured, hairless above, fine glandular hairs along the veins below apex broadly tapering to rounded; margins entire, wavy. Flowers in loose axillary spike-like racemes, unisexual, on different tree, small, greenish or yellowish. Fruit ovoid, c 1.5 cm long, velvety, yellow, orange or pinkish, splitting, often reluctantly, revealing a single seed, almost hidden in a bluish white, fleshy aril.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	fraxinifolius: with leaves like an Ash (Fraxinus sp. - Oleaceae).
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Oct - Dec
Worldwide distribution:	Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique.
Growth form(s):	Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Euphaedra neophron neophron (Food plant) Abantis paradisea (Larval foodplant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 537. As Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius fraxinifolius (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 650. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 108. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 256. Exell, A.W. (1966). Sapindaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(2) Pages 530 - 531. (Includes a picture). Exell, A.W. & Sousa, E.P. (1973). 51. Sapindaceae Flora de Moçambique Junta de Investigaçoes de Ultramar, Centro de Botanica Pages 35 - 36. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 76. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 95. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 173. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 432 - 433. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius:

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Flora of Malawi: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Flora of Mozambique: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Flora of Zambia: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Flora of Zimbabwe: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
African Plant Database: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
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iNaturalist: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
JSTOR Plant Science: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Plants of the World Online: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Tropicos: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius
Wikipedia: Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius