Grewia rogersii

Grewia rogersii, the Waterberg raisin, is a spreading, multistemmed bush or small tree reaching 5 m (SA Tree List No. 463.7). Young branches start off hairy but lose this and become purplish brown, the bark smooth.

The simple leaves are alternate on petioles 5 mm long or shorter. The leaf-shape is oblong to obovate or elliptic, the tips tapering to points or rounded and the bases asymmetric or rounded. The margins are serrated. The glossy dark green blades have three veins from the base and mainly silvery white hairs on the lower surfaces. Leaf dimensions are about 7 cm long and half that in width.

The yellow flowers grow in clusters of usually three from leaf axils. Flower diameter is about 15 mm. Flowering starts before midspring and concludes in early autumn.

The fruit is a four-lobed drupe, brown and long-haired.

The species distribution of this South African endemic is in the Waterberg, a part of the Limpopo province.

The habitat is rocky hillsides among other trees and grass. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).