''Dombeya rotundifolia'', the dikbas or "South African wild pear" (it is not related to

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

trees), is a small deciduous tree with dark grey to blackish deeply fissured bark, found in

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...

and northwards to

central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and eastern tropical Africa. Formerly placed in the

Sterculiaceae Sterculiaceae was a family of flowering plant based on the genus ''Sterculia''. Genera formerly included in Sterculiaceae are now placed in the family Malvaceae, in the subfamilies: Byttnerioideae, Dombeyoideae, Helicteroideae and Sterculioideae. A ...

, that artificial group has now been abandoned by most authors and the plants are part of an enlarged

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...

. ''Dombeya rotundifolia'' was originally described by

Hochstetter The family of Höchstetter (also rendered Hechstetter or Hochstetter), from Höchstädt in western Bavaria near the banks of the Danube, were members of the fifteenth and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg. For a time, these i ...

. The ''D. rotundifolia'' of Bojer is now '' Dombeya spectabilis''.

Description

Trees are normally 5–6 m tall with a single well-defined trunk, growing on deep soils, river banks and rocky places. Leaves and flower buds are densely covered in stellate hairs. One of the first species to flower in spring, often with ''

Erythrina lysistemon ''Erythrina lysistemon'' is a species of deciduous tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to South Africa. Common names include common coral-tree, lucky bean tree, umsintsi (Xhosa), muvhale (Venda), mophete (Tswana), koraalboom of kann ...

''. Flowers are abundant and sweet-scented, usually white but occasionally pale pink. Flowers (15–20 mm diameter) inconspicuous round fruits form at the centre of the brown, dead, persistent petals. Wood is bluish-grey, dense, hard and extremely tough, and was sought after during the era of building wagons and carriages. Most of the cultivated dombeyas are shrubs with attractive pink or white flowers closely related to ''D. rotundifolia'', such as '' Dombeya burgessiae'' or ''

Dombeya autumnalis ''Dombeya'' is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. These plants are known by a number of vernacular names which sometim ...

''; the latter was described when its habit of flowering during autumn became apparent.

Cultivation and uses

It is drought and frost tolerant, it is popular with

beekeeper A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees. Beekeepers are also called honey farmers, apiarists, or less commonly, apiculturists (both from the Latin '' apis'', bee; cf. apiary). The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps honey bees i ...

s due to its high nectar production that attracts a multitude of bees and butterflies. Its flowers in showy profuse displays make it a highly valued ornamental tree. It produces a good timber with a greyish-blue heartwood and suitable for woodworking. Freshly-cut timber has a strong aroma of

fishmeal Fish meal is a commercial product made from whole wild-caught fish, bycatch and fish by-products to feed farm animals, e.g., pigs, poultry, and farmed fish.R. D. Miles and F. A. Chapman.FA122: The Benefits of Fish Meal in Aquaculture DietsFisherie ...

. This species is host to the

scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the ...

'' Lecanodiaspis tarsalis'' Newstead, 1917.

Gallery

Dombeya rotundifolia04.jpg, Dombeya rotundifolia-flowers.jpg, Dombeya rotundifolia-leaves.jpg, Dombeya rotundifolia-pink.jpg,

References

*van Wyk, B. and van Wyk, P. 2013. ''Field Guide to trees of Southern Africa'' Second Edition. Struik, Cape Town

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2720967 rotundifolia Trees of South Africa Flora of Mozambique Ornamental trees Drought-tolerant trees Least concern plants Afromontane flora

Description

Cultivation and uses

Gallery

See also

References

External links