Searsia angustifolia at Elandsberg

Searsia angustifolia, the willow karee, is a shrub of around 2,5 m, occasionally a small tree reaching heights up to 4 m (SA Tree List No. 377.1).

The trifoliolate leaflets are narrowly elliptic or lanceolate. The upper surfaces are leathery, grey-green and hairless, while the lower surfaces have creamy woolly hair covering. The central vein is dull yellow, the lateral ones are ridged.

The flowers are small, yellow and hairy. The fruits are flattened, fleshy and covered in velvety hair.

The species distribution is in nature restricted to the far south-western parts of the Western Cape. The plants habitat is stream banks where it may form thickets. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Coates Palgrave, 2002; http://redlist.sanbi.org).