Hymenocardia acida Tul.
var. acida

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Cheringoma Escarpment, Sofala, Mozambique.

Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
Levasflor

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Synonyms:	Carpodiptera minor Sim Hymenocardia mollis Pax var. glabra Pax
Common names:	Large red-heart (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or small tree. Bark smooth, light brown to grey, flaking to reveal a powdery rufous-brown underbark. Leaves alternate, elliptic-ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, broadly rounded or notched at the apex, dark green above, brown hairy only when young, paler below, densely covered with golden gland dots and minute domatia in the axils of the veins; margins entire somewhat rolled under. Flowers unisexual on different trees, male flowers, reddish in catkin-like spikes up to 6 cm long; female flowers solitary, green with long velvety red, forked styles. Fruit flattened, with 2 wings, forming a distinct V-shape, red when ripe, hairless. See var. mollis (Pax) Radcl.-Sm. for comparison.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	In miombo and other deciduous woodland.
Flowering time:	Oct - Dec
Worldwide distribution:	More or less throughout tropical Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Angola, central Zimbabwe and Mozambique
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 412. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 32. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 480 - 481. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 57. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 251. As Hymenocardia acida Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 42. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 49. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 116 - 117. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 57. Smith, P. & Allen, Q. (2004). Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Miombo Woodlands Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew ISBN 1 84246 073 0 Pages 58 - 59. (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 87. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 192 - 193. as Hymenocardia acida (Includes a picture). Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (2013). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Second edition) Struik, South Africa Pages 240 - 241. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Hymenocardia acida var. acida:

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Flora of Botswana: Hymenocardia acida var. acida
Flora of Malawi: Hymenocardia acida var. acida
Flora of Mozambique: Hymenocardia acida var. acida
Flora of Zambia: Hymenocardia acida var. acida
Flora of Zimbabwe: Hymenocardia acida var. acida

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Hymenocardia acida
African Plant Database: Hymenocardia acida
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Hymenocardia acida
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Hymenocardia acida
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Hymenocardia acida
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iNaturalist: Hymenocardia acida
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Hymenocardia acida
JSTOR Plant Science: Hymenocardia acida
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Hymenocardia acida
Plants of the World Online: Hymenocardia acida
Tropicos: Hymenocardia acida
Wikipedia: Hymenocardia acida