Bersama swynnertonii Baker f.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Northern slopes below Mt Dombe, Chimanimani Mts

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Synonyms:
Common names:	Purple bersama (English)
Frequency:	Local
Status:	Native
Description:	Small to medium-sized evergreen tree. Leaves pinnate with 1 to 3 pairs of leaflets and a terminal leaflet, sometimes appearing 3-foliolate. Flowers in conspicuous racemes, greenish to cream at first, turning pink to purple with age. Fruit a spherical capsule, wrinkled, splitting into 4 valves, revealing bright orange and yellow seeds.
Notes:	The plant is said to be poisonous to life-stock.
Derivation of specific name:	swynnertonii: named after Charles Francis Massey Swynnerton (1877-1938), well-known naturalist, who first recorded and collected many species of flora and fauna in and around the Chirinda Forest
Habitat:	Edges of evergreen and riverine forest
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Nov - Jan
Worldwide distribution:	Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and adjacent areas of Mozambique
Mozambique distribution:	MS
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Endemic status:	Near Endemic
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Saturday 7 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 542. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 9. 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 90. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 257. Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 175. Mapaura, A. (2002). Endemic Plant Species of Zimbabwe. Kirkia 18(1) Page 144. 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 62. Shone, D.K. & Drummond, R.B. (1965). Poisonous Plants of Rhodesia Ministry of Agriculture, Rhodesia Pages 40 - 41. (Includes a picture). White, F. (1966). Melianthaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(2) Pages 546 - 547. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 95.

Other sources of information about Bersama swynnertonii:

Our websites:

Flora of Zimbabwe: Bersama swynnertonii

External websites:

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