''Nuxia congesta'', commonly known as brittle-wood, is a species of tree in the

Stilbaceae ''Stilbaceae'' is a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales. Genera include: *'' Anastrabe'' E. Mey. ex Benth. *'' Bowkeria'' Harv. *'' Campylostachys'' Kunth *'' Charadrophila'' Marloth *'' Euthystachys'' A. DC. *'' Halleria'' ...

family, with an extensive range in the Afrotropics. The species is named ''congesta'' for its dense inflorescences.

Range

The species is native to Eswatini,

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

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

and

, northwards to

tropical Africa Although tropical Africa is mostly familiar to the West for its rainforests, this biogeographic realm of Africa is far more diverse. While the tropics are thought of as regions with hot moist climates, which are caused by latitude and the trop ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

and southern

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

. It is also found on the islands in the

Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in ...

Habitat

It is a component of woodland, bushveld or grassland, and occurs along forest verges, but has a predisposition for rocky terrain and cliff ledges.

Similar species

'' Nuxia glomerulata'' has a restricted range between

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

and

Zeerust Zeerust is a commercial town situated in Ngaka Modiri Molema district North West Province, South Africa. It lies in the Marico valley, approximately 240 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg. It lies on the N4, the main road link between Sout ...

, South Africa, and differs by its more elliptic, leathery and glabrous leaves. '' Nuxia floribunda'' carries the leaves on long and slender petioles, and has larger and less dense inflorescences.

References

Stilbaceae Trees of South Africa Flora of Zimbabwe Flora of Mozambique Afromontane flora {{Lamiales-stub