Ehretia rigida (Thunb.) Druce
subsp. rigida

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Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
Matobo Hills, Shumbashaba

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road to Mshelele Dam, Khumalo CL.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along Zvishavane road west of Masvingo

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Synonyms:	Capraria rigida Thunb. Ehretia hottentotica Burch.
Common names:	Puzzle-bush (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Shrub or small tree with long drooping branches. Leaves alternate on longer branches or apparently clustered at the ends of short lateral shoots, obovate, 2-6 cm long, hairless or roughly hairy but always with hairy pockets in axils of midrib and lateral veins; margin entire but sometimes bristly; petiole very short. Flowers in dense heads at the ends of short lateral shoots, lavender, mauve or blue, rarely white, c. 7 mm in diameter with spreading lobes. Fruit subglobose, 5-7 mm wide, fleshy, bright orange-red when ripe, edible.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	rigida: rigid, stiff
Habitat:	In woodland and thickets, on granite hills, in Kalahari sand areas and often on termite mounds.
Altitude range:	Up to 1400 m
Flowering time:	Sep - Jul
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho.
Mozambique distribution:	GI,M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 830. As Ehretia rigida subsp. nervifolia (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 14. As Ehretia rigida rigida Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 974 - 975. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 271. 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 30. Martins, E.S. (1990). Boraginaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(4) Pages 76 - 78. (Includes a picture). Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 574 - 575. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 40. As: Ehretia rigida Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 71. As Ehretia species? (E. rigida most likely referred to here) Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 162 - 163. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Ehretia rigida subsp. rigida:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Ehretia rigida subsp. rigida
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ehretia rigida subsp. rigida

External websites:

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