Seemannaralia
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Seemannaralia gerrardii, commonly known as the wild-maple or mock carrot tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae. It is the sole member of genus Seemannaralia, and is endemic to South Africa, where it occurs in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.[1] It was originally included in genus Cussonia. Seemann- and gerrardii commemorate Berthold Seemann and William Gerrard respectively, while -aralia suggests the family or its type genus, Aralia.[2]
Description
A short squat tree of open rocky situations, or a tall tree of forest and forest edge.[2] The rough grey bark is deeply cracked. As with genus Cussonia the leaves are clustered at the ends of branches. The leaf shape is characteristic: maple-like, palmate and 3 to 7 lobed.[2] Leaves turn yellow in autumn.
Flowers and fruit
The small, yellowish green flowers are produced in autumn,[2] in axillary and terminal panicles of umbels.[3] The oval flower petals have an intricate estivation.[4] The superior ovary is 1[5] or 2-locular,[3] and much compressed laterally.[4] The purplish drupes appear in winter. They are of a flattened, elliptic shape, with lateral veins.[2]
Gallery
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Panicle of flower umbels
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Close-up of two flower umbels
References
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