Blighia unijugata Baker

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Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
Catapu, Mozambique

Photo: Bart Wursten
Vunduzi river near Mt Bunga, Gorongosa National Park.

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Synonyms:	Phialodiscus unijugatus (Baker) Radlk.
Common names:	Triangle tops (English)
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Shrub or small tree. Bark grey to brownish, generally smooth but often with small knobbly warts. Leaves paripinnate, up to 30 cm with 2-3 pairs of leaflets; leaflets ovate to elliptic, end pair largest, up to 15 cm, glossy dark green above, hairless, apex tapering into a driptip; margin entire, often wavy. Flowers unisexual, usually on different trees, white, sweetly scented. Fruit in clusters, 3-lobed, somewhat pear-shaped, with ridge-like wings, bright pink to red, splitting with the valves curling backwards.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	unijugata: "coupled once", usually referring to pairs of leaflets on a pinnate leaf. Note that the name is rather inappropriate in this case as this species very rarely only has one pair of leaflets but normally 2 or 3.
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Sep - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa southwards to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, just entering coastal KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Euphaedra neophron neophron (Food plant)
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 531. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 9. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 23. 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 516 - 517. (Includes a picture). Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 176. 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. Timberlake, J.R., Bayliss, J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Congdon, C., Branch, B., Collins, S., Curran, M., Dowsett, R,J., Fishpool, L., Francisco, J., Harris, Kopp, M. & de Sousa, C. (2012). Mt Mabu, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/036. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London Page 75.

Other sources of information about Blighia unijugata:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Blighia unijugata
Flora of Mozambique: Blighia unijugata
Flora of Zambia: Blighia unijugata
Flora of Zimbabwe: Blighia unijugata

External websites:

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