Searsia acuminatissima (R.Fern. & A.Fern.) Moffett

Anacardiaceae, Rosette Fernandes and A. Fernandes. Flora Zambesiaca 2:2. 1966

Habit

Shrub or small tree up to 5 m. tall; branches brownish-red, glabrescent, cylindric, slightly striate, lenticellate, the lenticels very small, roundish; branchlets hispidulous.

Petiole

Petiole (3·5)5–10·5 cm. long, slender, subcylindric, a little grooved on the upper side, reddish-brown, ± densely hispidulous to glabrous.

Leaflets

Leaflets nearly concolorous (brownish on both sides in dry state, sometimes a little darker above), lanceolate-acuminate, narrowed to a very acute subfiliform apex, with entire subtranslucent whitish-edged margin, cuneate at the base, membranous to papyraceous, the youngest ones ± hispid on the midrib and margin and sparsely so on the lamina, the oldest ones glabrous; median leaflet 5–12 × 1·5–3·3 cm., the lateral ones a little smaller or sometimes subequal; midrib slender, prominent on both surfaces, lateral nerves not or only slightly raised on both surfaces, reticulation not visible above, sometimes conspicuous but not raised below.

Inflorescences

Panicles up to 13 cm. long, terminal and axillary, multiflorous, with the axis, branches and pedicels (1–2 mm. long) hispidulous.

Calyx

Calyx-segments 0·5 mm. long, lanceolate, acute, hispidulous.

Corolla

Petals 1·25 × 0·5 mm., ovate-oblong, subacute; filaments 0·75 mm. long.

Fruits

Drupe immature black, c. 2·5 mm. in diam., circular in outline.