Morella serrata (Lance-leaved waxberry)

Morella serrata (Lance-leaved waxberry)

[= Myrica serrata]

Smalblaarwasbessie [Afrikaans]

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Rosids > Eurosid I > Order: Fagales > Family: Myricaceae > Genus: Morella


Morella serrata, Greystone Park Nature Reserve, Harare, Zimbabwe. [photo Bart Wursten ©, Flora of Zimbabwe]

Morella serrata, Greystone Park Nature Reserve, Harare, Zimbabwe. [photo Bart Wursten ©, Flora of Zimbabwe]	Morella serrata, Christon Bank, Zimbabwe. [photo Bart Wursten ©, Flora of Zimbabwe]

Identification

A shrub or small tree 3-4 m high. Leaves are narrowly elliptic and quite long, usually about 10 cm long by 2 cm wide but can reach 15 x 2.5 cm. Leaf margins are smooth or serrated and rolled under. Leaves are net-veined, have golden yellow gland dots on the lower surface (best viewed in bright light with magnifying glass), and are aromatic. The young leaves are often golden yellow, which contrasts in an attractive way with the silver-coloured trunk (Palmer & Pitman 1972). Has separate male and female flowers on the same plant or on separate plants. Flowers are small and in short spikes. Fruit are small (3-4 mm in diameter), spherical and dark brown to black in colour, with a waxy covering.

Distribution and habitat

Found in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Northwest Province and Gauteng. Also occurs in eastern Zimbabwe and northern Botswana. Grows along streams, on grassy hillsides and on forest fringes.

Phenology

Flowers from August to December.

Fruit have been recorded in October but presumably occur later than that as well, judging from the flowering dates.

Ecological interactions

Flowers are wind-pollinated according to Bean & Johns (2005) or pollinated by bees according to Palmer & Pitman (2002).

Has nitrogen-fixing nodules on the roots (Bean & Johns 2005).

Uses

The fruit, stems and leaves contain oils, which can be extracted through boiling. The oil contains fatty acids, 9% of which are saturated (Palgrave & Palgrave 2002). What is the oil used for (if anything)?
Fruits can be eaten but chewing the leaves causes an intense burning at the back of the throat and in the nose and results in a bad headache (Palgrave & Palgrave 2002).

References

Bean, A. and Johns, A. 2005. Stellenbosch to Hermanus - South African Wild Flower Guide 5, including Kogelberg and Hottentots Holland. Botanical Society of South Africa, Cape Town.
Palgrave, K.C. and Palgrave, M.C. 2002. Trees of Southern Africa. 3rd Edition. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
Palmer, E. and Pitman, N. 1972. Trees of Southern Africa covering all known indigenous species in the Republic of South Africa, South-West Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. Volume 1. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town.