Euclea crispa subsp. crispa crown

The rounded crown of this Euclea crispa subsp. crispa sapling, formed of many erect branches and leaves, shows the very slight leaf colour difference between the greener upper and paler lower leaf surfaces. Upper branches are still reddish here, covered in rusty scales or granules (glands).

The flowers of this tree are very small and greenish white. They grow in branched sprays from leaf axils, from summer to autumn.

The spherical fruits that follow turn almost black or dark purplish when ripe, varying in size, but typically about 5 mm in diameter. The single hard, globose seed in the centre is covered in a sweet, fleshy layer eaten by birds, baboons and people. All consumers contribute seed dispersal duties implied in and imposed by the tree’s offering of food (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993; Schmidt, et al, 2002).