''Searsia glauca'' (or the blue kuni-rhus) is a small, compact tree or bush that is commonly found along the coastline of southern Africa. Although commonest near the coast, it is also found inland among

fynbos Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean clim ...

vegetation.

Description

Retuse obtuse leaf of Searsia glauca IMG 9112

The leaves are characteristically glossy/shiny and often a slightly glaucous (blue-green) colour. The leaves are trifoliate, with three obtuse (obcordate-cuneate) leaflets. It is

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruits reach a maximum diameter of 5 mm (distinguishing it from '' Searsia undulata'' which has 3mm fruits).Coates Palgrave, M. (2002) ''Trees of southern Africa''. Struik, Cape Town.

Distribution

This species occurs along the coast of South Africa, as well as in certain areas inland. It occurs from

Velddrif Velddrif (the name of the town) or Velddrift (the name of the farm on which the town was established), is a coastal fishing town in the Bergrivier Local Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa. The town had a population 7800 in 2007 and is located ...

and Cape Town in the west, eastwards into the Eastern Cape Province. Inland it occurs in the Little Karoo, around Worcester, Oudtshoorn, Baviaanskloof and northwards into Zimbabwe.

References

glauca Endemic flora of South Africa Flora of the Cape Provinces Fynbos Trees of South Africa Dioecious plants {{Anacardiaceae-stub