''Buxus macowanii'', aka Cape box, is an evergreen species of boxwood endemic to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, where it occurs in two disjunct populations - in coastal forest and shady ravines from the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

to southern Natal, and in the Waterberg of the central

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, ...

. The genus '' Buxus'', comprising more than 100 species, is found worldwide, but is absent from Australia. Cape box is a small, evergreen, slow-growing tree reaching about 10m in height, with glabrous, opposite and entire leaves, some 2.5 cm long. Fruit spherical and trilete, crowned by the 3 persistent styles or horns. The species' commercial value was first realised in 1884 when

David Hutchins Sir David Ernest Hutchins FRGS (22 September 1850 – 11 November 1920) was a British forestry expert who worked around the British Empire. Hutchins was educated at Blundell's School and the '' École nationale des eaux et forêts'' (Nationa ...

, the Conservator of Forests in King William's Town, reported "''the coast forests have come into notice during the year, by the discovery that the so-called Cape box is of value for engraving and other purposes for which real boxwood is used. The area of box-producing forest in the Buffalo River valley is estimated at fifteen square miles. Box also occurs in the valley of the Keiskama River, near the coast, but has not as yet been detected west of this in the valleys of the Fish River,

Kowie River The Kowie River (Coyi in Xhosa) is a river in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It has its source in the hills of the "Grahamstown Heights" from where it flows in a south-easterly direction draining the major part of the Bathurst region, reaching ...

and the

Bushman's River The Bushman's River ( af, Boesmansrivier) is an east to north-easterly flowing tributary of the Tugela River, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg Mountain range, with its upper catchment in the Giant's Cast ...

''". The specific name honours

Peter MacOwan Peter MacOwan (14 November 1830 in Hull, England – 30 November 1909 in Uitenhage, Cape Province) was a British colonial botanist and teacher in South Africa. Early life and education He was the son of Peter McOwan, a Wesleyan minister fro ...

, who received specimens of the plant from Hutchins and passed them on to Hooker - the word 'buxus' is ancient Latin for the boxwood tree.

Gallery

Buxus macowanii00.jpg, Buxus macowanii06.jpg, Buxus macowanii, loof en vrugte, Manie van der Schijff BT.jpg, Trilete fruits crowned by persistent styles Buxus macowanii02.jpg, Dehisced fruit showing persistent styles

References

macowanii Flora of South Africa Taxa named by Daniel Oliver {{eudicot-stub