Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road from entrance gate to Chitengo, Gorongosa National Park

Photo: Ton Rulkens
Pemba Bay, Pemba Town, Cabo Delgado province

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Synonyms:	Dichrostachys glomerata (Forssk.) Chiov.
Common names:	Chinese lantern (English) Sickle bush (English)
Frequency:	Common
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or small tree, 1-8(-12) m, sometimes suckering and thicket-forming. Bark markedly ridged,the ridges ± vertical and anastomosing. Young branchlets usually ± pubescent, sometimes puberulent or even glabrous. Leaves with 5-19 pairs of pinnae; rhachis (including petiole) 0.5-20 cm, with stalked glands between either all the pinnae or only the basal and distal ones. Leaflets 9-41 pairs, 1-11 × 0.3-4 mm, linear to oblong. Inflorescences 2-5 cm, solitary or apparently fascicled. Pod 2-10 × 0.5-2.6 cm. Seeds 4-6 × 3-4.5 cm, deep brown, glossy.
Notes:	Many subspecies and varieties have been described. For the time being we have treated this as one aggregate species. One of these subtaxa: D. cinerea subsp. africana var. pubescens is considered Endemic to Mozambique.
Derivation of specific name:	cinerea: ash-grey
Habitat:	In wooded grassland and savannah areas, most common at lower altitudes. On poor soils and overgrazed ground it often forms tangled, impenetrable thickets.
Altitude range:	0 - 1550 m
Flowering time:	Oct - Jan
Worldwide distribution:	The species as an aggregate is widespread in Africa, including Cape Verde and Zanzibar. Also in Asia.
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,T,MS,GI,M
Growth form(s):	Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Monday 8 August 2016
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 50 - 51. (Includes a picture). Brenan, J.P.M. (1970). Mimosoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(1) Pages 37 - 45. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 212. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Pages 216 - 218. As subsp. africana var. africana, subsp. africana var. plurijuga, subsp. argillicola var. hirtipes, subsp. forbesii, subsp. nyassana. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 20. Dichrostachys cinerea africana africana and D. cinerea africana plurijuga Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 13. As Dichrostachys cinerea africana africana Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 304. (Includes a picture). *Coates Palgrave, K. et al.* (1956).** Trees of Central Africa National Publications Trust, Salisbury. Pages 272 - 275. as Dichrostachys glomerata (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, M. (1989). Guide to the trees and shrubs of the Mukuvisi Woodlands ?publisher. Page 47. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 188 - 189. (Includes a picture). 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 64. under various subspecies. and varieties 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 86. As Dichrostachys cinerea africana pubescens Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 215. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 241. As Dichrostachys cinerea africana, D. cinerea agillicola and D. cinerea nyassana Drummond, R.B. (1981). Common Trees of the Central Watershed Woodlands of Zimbabwe. Natural Resources Board, Harare. Pages 56 - 57. (Includes a picture). Fabian, A. & Germishuizen, G. (1997). Wild Flowers of Northern South Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeburg. Pages 170 - 171. as Dichrostachys subsp africana var. africana (Includes a picture). Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 259. (Includes a picture). Mannheimer, C. & Curtis B. (2009). Le Roux and Müller's Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Namibia Macmillan Education, Windhoek, Namibia. Pages 124 - 125. (Includes a picture). 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 45. under various subspp. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 55. under various subspp. Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 73. (Includes a picture). Roodt, V. (1998). Trees and Shrubs of the Okavango Delta Shell Field Guide Series: Part I Shell Oil Botswana, Gaberone. Pages 180 - 182. (Includes a picture). Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Page 174. under various subspecies (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 64. Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Pages 16 - 17. as Dichrostachys nyassana (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 94. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 210. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 500 - 501. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (2013). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Second edition) Struik, South Africa Pages 596 - 597. (Includes a picture). Wild, H. (1955). Common Rhodesian Weeds Government of Rhodesia, Salisbury Page 54. as Dichrostachys glomerata (Includes a picture).

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Flora of Botswana: Dichrostachys cinerea
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Flora of Malawi: Dichrostachys cinerea
Flora of Zambia: Dichrostachys cinerea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Dichrostachys cinerea

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Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Dichrostachys cinerea
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Wikipedia: Dichrostachys cinerea