Myrica chimanimaniana (Verdc. & Polhill) Christenh. & Byng

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Photo: Stefaan Dondeyne
Northern ridge of Mt Pheza, Chimanimani Mts, Mozambique.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Small valley North-east of Mt Binga, Chimanimani Mts

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Synonyms:	Morella chimanimaniana Verdc. & Polhill Myrica sp. aff. brevifolia E. Mey. ex C. DC.
Common names:
Frequency:	Locally frequent
Status:	Native
Description:	Dwarf woody shrub up to c. 40 cm tall with several stems growing from a rhizomatous rootstock. Branches covered with a mixture of long and short hairs and glands. Leaves alternate, oblong-elliptic, 2-4.5 cm long, usually 2-2.5 times as long as broad, hairless or with thin long hairs near the base of the midrib above and the veins beneath, dotted with golden glands; margin markedly toothed; petiole 1-2 mm. Flowers in catkin-like inflorescences, sexes separate on different plants, sometimes on the same plant with a few male flowers at the base of otherwise female catkins or male catkins developing after female catkins on the same branchlet. Male catkins fairly dense 6-12 mm long. female catkins becoming lax when fruits develop, sometimes up to 5 cm long Fruit c. 4 mm in diameter, ovoid.
Notes:	Although restricted to the Chimanimani Mts, this species is NOT a quartzite endemic. On the contrary, this species appears to be found only in grassland areas on soils of gravelly schists.
Derivation of specific name:	chimanimaniana: of the Chimanimani Mountains.
Habitat:	Montane grassland, rocky places or Erica-Brachystegia woodland.
Altitude range:	1500 - 2150 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Restricted to the Chimanimani Mountains of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Mozambique distribution:	MS
Growth form(s):	Shrub under 2 m.
Endemic status:	Near Endemic
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Sunday 8 June 2014
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 64. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 39. As Morella brevifolia Darbyshire, I., Timberlake, J., Osborne, J., Rokni, S., Matimele, H., Langa. C., Datizua, C., de Sousa, C., Alves, T., Massingue, A., Hadj-Hammou, J., Dhanda, S., Shah, T., Wursten, B. (2019). The endemic plants of Mozambique: diversity and conservation status Phytotaxa 136 Page 91. As Myrica chimanimaniana Polhill, R.M. & Verdcourt, B. (2006). Myricaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(3) Pages 259 - 261. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 96.

Other sources of information about Myrica chimanimaniana:

Our websites:

Flora of Zimbabwe: Myrica chimanimaniana

External websites:

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