Combretum hereroense in winter garb

This nearly bare Combretum hereroense tree with many dark-centered fruits ripening slowly is a common bushveld sight. The wings of the fruit may have regular corrugations radiating from the core. The fruit is shaded paler towards the wing margins where it has ginger or golden colouring. The cigar-shaped seed is about 1 cm long.

The kierieklapper name for this tree comes from use of branches as kieries or walking (sometimes fighting) sticks, while the russet bushwillow appellation reflects the dark brown fruit centres tinged red (Carr, 1988; Coates Palgrave, 2002).