Pilostyles aethiopica Welw.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Plateau below Nhandore peak, Mt Gorongosa

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Synonyms:	Berlinianche aethiopica (Welw.) Vattimo-Gil
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Small internal parasites. The vegetative parts are very much reduced and the only visible parts are the flowers, which push through the bark of the smaller branches on the host tree. Flowers unisexual, small, c. 2-2.5 mm in diameter, usually in large clusters, deep red, short-lived and quickly turning brown, leaving only the crustaceous bracts. The male flowers have a shiny, white hair crown at the top of their central column, whereas female flowers do not, making it possible to sex flowers by eye. Fruit a small spherical berry.
Notes:	The specimens in the photographs appear to be the first record from Mozambique. This could be largely due to under-recording.
Derivation of specific name:	aethiopica: of Ethiopia, a historic name for large parts of Africa.
Habitat:	Mainly parasitic upon species of Brachystegia and Julbernardia.
Altitude range:	1000 - 1700 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution:	MS (other?)
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Sunday 8 April 2012
Literature:	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 69. Robyns, W. & Boutique, R. (1948). Rafflesiaceae Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi Volume I Page 391. Under Rafflesiaceae Stannard, B.L. (1997). Rafflesiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(2) Pages 14 - 16. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Pilostyles aethiopica:

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Flora of Burundi: Pilostyles aethiopica
Flora of the DRC: Pilostyles aethiopica
Flora of Malawi: Pilostyles aethiopica
Flora of Zambia: Pilostyles aethiopica
Flora of Zimbabwe: Pilostyles aethiopica

External websites:

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