Bush jarrah, Red currant rhus
Rhus chirindensis forma legatii

Family: Anacardiaceae

What it is like

A tall tree. It normally loses its leaves during the year. It grows to 25 m tall. The trunk can be 0.6-1.3 m across. It can also grow as a straggling shrub. The stems of young plants are thorny but mature trees do not have thorns. The bark is rough. When the stem is cut the sap is blood red. The young leaves are reddish. Mature leaves are dark glossy green. The form of this tree in tropical Africa is hairy. The leaflets are large. They are 13 cm long and 6 cm wide. The side leaflets are smaller, narrow at both ends, have sharp points and without stalks. The end leaflet has a short stalk. The flowers are in branched sprays. The male flower sprays are at the end of branches and are long while the female sprays are in the axils of leaves and are shorter. The flowers are very small but occur in very large numbers. The fruit are small, round and red. The fruit are sweet and edible.

There are about 200 Rhus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in a wide variety of places. It can be in stony hillsides, open woodland, mountain scrub or along streams.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Inhlangishane-lenkhulu

Synonyms

Rhus legatii Schonl.;