Ormocarpum trichocarpum (Taub.) Engl.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Compound of Community Education Centre, Gorongosa National Park

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Synonyms:	Ormocarpum setosum Burtt Davy Saldania acanthocarpa Sim
Common names:	Hairy caterpillar-pod (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or small tree, to 5 m. Bark dark brown, fissured, corky; young branches often with white hairs. Leaves clustered on dwarf spur branchlets, imparipinnate with 7-15 leaflets; leaflets elliptic-oblong, small, 3-11 × 1.5-3.5 mm, undersurface often with white hairs and densely covered with very small black dots; apex mucronate. Flowers in 1-4-flowered clusters, mauve-pink to violet. Fruit a very distinct small pod, resembling a caterpillar, up to 5 cm long, ± straight or curved, densely covered in long, stiff, swollen-based golden hairs, many over 3 mm long.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	trichocarpum: hairy-fruited
Habitat:	In stony places and on rocky hillsides in hot, dry areas.
Altitude range:	Up to 140 m
Flowering time:	Sep - Jan
Worldwide distribution:	From Sudan and Ethiopia to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Eswatini.
Mozambique distribution:	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:	Wednesday 4 November 2015
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 323. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 27. As Ormocarpum krichocarpum (spelling error) Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 224. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 246. 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 50. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 70. Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 26. (Includes a picture). Verdcourt, B. (2000). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(6) Pages 54 - 55.

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Flora of Botswana: Ormocarpum trichocarpum
Flora of Malawi: Ormocarpum trichocarpum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ormocarpum trichocarpum

External websites:

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