Searsia angustifolia

Searsia angustifolia, commonly known as the willow karee, in Afrikaans as the wilgerkorentebos (willow currant bush), and previously scientifically as Rhus angustifolia, is a shrub of around 2,5 m in height, occasionally a small tree up to 4 m tall (SA Tree List No. 377.1).

The trifoliolate, leathery leaflets are narrowly elliptic or lanceolate. The upper surfaces are dark green to grey green, hairless and often glossy, while the lower surfaces have creamy woolly hair covering. The midribs are creamy, bulging prominently below. The lateral veins are parallel, appearing ridged.

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

The species distribution is restricted to the southwest of the Western Cape, from the Cape Peninsula northwards to the Cederberg, and eastwards to Swellendam and Montagu. The photo was taken in the Elandsberg Nature Reserve.

The habitat is fynbos stream banks where it may form thickets. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Bean and Johns, 2005; Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).