Combretum zeyheri

The leaves that make noise earned Combretum zeyheri its Afrikaans common name of raasblaar. These large coarse leaves, together with the winged fruits, will produce rustling sounds when encouraged by even slight wind. The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three or four, spaced in clusters near branch ends. The leaf shape is elliptic to obovate. Leaves are hairy when young. Apart from a conspicuous midrib, the leaf has seven to eleven pairs of lateral veins.

There are larger and smaller-leaved forms of this tree. Curious little structures called domatia are present on the leaves of this species. They are tiny depressions on the leaf surface (usually the lower one), between the leaf midrib and the start of the lateral veins, usually filled with hairs or other leaf tissue. The net-veining is slightly raised on the lower surface.

The leaves and fruit shown here are reaching the end of their season, the photo taken in June. This tree grows in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.

Raasblaar bark is variable in colour and texture, usually brownish grey. The bark becomes whiter on old trees, some scattered dark patches persisting upon it. The young branchlets are finely hairy (Carr, 1988; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Coates Palgrave, 2002).