Excoecaria bussei (Pax) Pax

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Photo: Mark Hyde
National Botanic Garden, Harare

Photo: Rob Burrett
National Botanic Garden, Harare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Mandavu Dam, Hwange NP

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Synonyms:	Excoecaria sambesica Pax & K. Hoffm. Sapium bussei Pax
Common names:	Pawnbroker tree (English) Pepper-seed (English)
Description:	Small to medium-sized tree. Leaves elliptic-obovate, varying from glossy dark green to yellowish green; margins finely crenate; petiole grooved along the top. Flowers in slender spikes, small, greenish yellow, unisexual with a few female flowers a the base of the spike. Fruit 3-lobed, thin-walled, bladder-like, dark brown.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	bussei: named after W. Busse, German agricultural officer and collector in Tanganyika (now Tanzania).
Flowering time:	Oct - Nov
Worldwide distribution:	Southern Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Caprivi-Namibia.
Growth form(s):	Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Image last updated:	Sunday 30 May 2010
Literature:	Biegel, H.M. (1977). Check-list of ornamental plants used in Rhodesian parks and gardens. Rhodesia Agricultural Journal. Research Report No. 3. Page 53. Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 457. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 518. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Page 336. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 253. 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 41. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 49. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 316 - 318. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 57. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 106 - 107. (Includes a picture). Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (2013). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Second edition) Struik, South Africa Pages 118 - 119. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Excoecaria bussei:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Excoecaria bussei
Flora of Caprivi: Excoecaria bussei
Flora of Malawi: Excoecaria bussei
Flora of Mozambique: Excoecaria bussei
Flora of Zambia: Excoecaria bussei
Flora of Zimbabwe: Excoecaria bussei

External websites:

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