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The following account has been taken from Tree Life no. 377 (January 2012)
Harava is not a site that we visit regularly, in fact our last visit was on the 21st of November 2004, 7 years back. Adverse reports on the state of the road may have contributed to this negative perception. In fact we cruised along very nicely and the few raw spots we encountered bore no resemblance to some of the huge pot holes in the heart of the great city of Harare.
So we arrived at the picnic site where we were greeted by Tony Allegria, chairman of the bird society who was somewhat impatient with our lack of Swiss time keeping accuracy.
The picnic site was reasonably clean, even though the old principle: “Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but your footsteps” could not adequately describe the place.
On this auspicious occasion we were led by no less than Meg Coates Palgrave herself. Thank you Meg.
Meg provided us with photocopies from the Flora Zimbabwe website (http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/) listing the species we could expect to see. Thanks to Meg’s expertise we were able to add another 24 species to that list.
Our visit was mostly concentrated around the picnic site, Meg fearing an invasion of visitors at lunch time.
Somehow, coming from Matabeleland, I always thought that biodiversity was less in Miombo forests, I’m no longer so sure, after all opinions are like underwear, they should be changed regularly.
We identified 45 species in 25 genera.
Anacardiaceae
Lannea discolor
Live-long; Nd: Isigangatsha,
Sh: Chizhenje.
Searsia longipes (Rhus)
Large-leaved Rhus; Nd: Uchane, Inhlokotshiane; Sh: Mudzambuya.
Apocynaceae
Diplorynchus condylocarpon
Wild rubber; Horn pod tree;
Nd: Inkamamasane; Sh: Mutowa.
Caesalpinaceae
Brachystegia spiciformis
Musasa; Nd: Igonde; Sh: Msasa.
Peltophorum africanum
African-wattle; Nd: Umsehla; Sh: Muzeze.
Senna singueana
Winter-flowering Senna; Sh: Muremberembe
Capparaceae
Boscia salicifolia
Willow-leaved Sheperds-tree; Sh: Mudemara; Tonga: Kabombwe.
Celestracea
Mystroxylum aethiopicum
Kooboo-berry; Nd: Umgugudu; Sh: Mudangwa.
Celtidaceae
Celtis africana
White stinkwood; Nd: Umdlautu; Sh: Kamutuna
Chrysobalanaceae
Parinari curatellifolia
Mobola-plum; Nd: Umkhuna; Sh: Muhacha; Karanga: Muchakata.
Combretaceae
Combretum collinum
Variable combretum; Nd: Umkhisikazi; Sh: Maruka.
Combretum molle
Velvet bushwillow; Nd: Umbondo; Sh: Mubondo.
Combretum zeyheri
Large fruited bushwillow; Nd/ umbondo; Sh: Muchenja.
Erythroxylaceae
Erythroxylum emarginatum
African Coca-tree. Sh: Rundo; Tonga: Mwenge.
Euphorbiaceae
Croton gratissimus
Lavender Croton; Nd: Inkiza emhlope; Sh: Mubangwa.
Flueggea virosa
Snowberry-tree; Nd: Umhakawuwe; Sh: Muchagauwe.
Pseudolachnostylis
maprouneifolia.
Kudu-berry; Duikerberry; Nd: Umqhombampunzi; Sh: Mudyamhembwe.
Flacourtaceae
Dovyalis zeyheri
Kei-apple; Nd: Umqokolo; Sh: Munhungura.
Flacourtia indica
Governor's plum; Nd: Umqokolo, Umthunduluka; Sh: Mududwe.
Lamiaceae
Clerodendrum glabrum (eriophyllum)
Hairy white cat's whiskers; Nd: Umdolo; Sh: Manyakachembere.
Vitex payos
Chocolate-berry; Nd: Umtswankela;
Sh: Mudyagava.
Meliaceae
Ekebergia capensis
Woodland dogplum; Sh: Mudyamofu.
Mimosoideae
Dichrostachys cinerea
Sickle-bush; Chinese lantern; Nd: Ugagu; Sh: Mupangara.
Moraceae
Ficus burkei
Common wild fig; Nd: Intenjane; Sh: Mutsamvi.
Ficus sur
Broom-cluster Fig; Nd: Umkhiwa; Sh:Mukuyu.
Myrtaceae
Syzygium cordatum
Waterberry; Nd: Umdoni, Imiswi; Sh: Muisu, Mukute.
Ochnaceae
Ochna puberula
Granite ochna; Nd: Umnyelenyele;
Sh: Muminu.
Ochna pulchra
Peeling-bark Ochna; Nd: Umnyelenyele;
Sh: Muminu.
Olacaceae
Ximenia caffra ss caffra
Sourplum; Nd: Umthunduluka;
Sh: Mutengeni.
Oleaceae
Olea europea ss africana
African olive; Wild olive; Nd: Umnquma; Sh: Mupfungo.
Papilionoideae
Dalbergia nitidula
Purplewood Dalbergia; Sh: Murima;
Mundulea sericea
Cork-bush; Nd: Inkiza-emaqaqa, Umsindlandlovu; Sh: Mupumhamhene
Pterocarpus angolensis
Kiaat; Mukwa; Bloodwood; Nd: Umvagazi; Sh: Mubwamakovo.
Pterocarpus rotundifolia
Round-leaved Bloodwood. Nd: Umdlandlovu; Sh: Muchirara.
Passifloraceae
Adenia gummifera
Snake-climber, Monkey-rope; Sh: Muwore.
Pittosporaceae
Pittospermum viridiflorum
Pittosporum; Nd: Iyoyi; Sh: Mubanda.
Rubiaceae
Canthium lactescens
Gummy canthium.
Coptosperma neurophyllum (Tarenna neurophylla)
Koppje butterspoon; Nd: Umgebe;
Sh: Mupfupa
Gardenia volkensii
Woodland Gardenia; Nd: Umvalasangwane; Sh: Mutara.
Rothmannia fischeri ss fischeri
Woodland Rothmannia;
Vangueria infausta
Wild-medlar; Nd: .Umthofu; Sh: Munzvirwa.
Strychnaceae
Strychnos cocculoides
Corky-bark Monkey-orange; Nd: Umkhemetshwane; Sh: Mutamba-Mazi
Strychnos spinosa
Spiny Monkey-orange; Nd: Umhlali; Sh: Mutamba -mun'hono.
Urticaceae
Pouzolzia mixta
Snuggle-leaf; Soap nettle; Velcro plant; Nd: Isikhukhukhu; Sh: Munanzwa.
That is what I remember, I have probably missed a few but I think that we had a very profitable outing, thank you Meg.
J-P Felu
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