Millettia grandis
Encyclopedia
Millettia grandis is a species of legume in the Fabaceae
family from South Africa
. It is commonly called Umzimbeet which is a name derived from the isiZulu
name umSimbithwa.
(apart from Maputaland
) and the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. They are said to be most common in the Pondoland area of the Eastern Cape. They grow in forests
and on forest margins.
tree from 10 – 25 m tall. The stem is usually twisted or bent and often branches low down. The bark is smooth on younger branches and flaky on older branches and stems. The colour of the bark is pale brown to pale grey-brown, with some stems appearing reddish where stained by soil from termites. The compound leaves have 3 to 7 pairs of opposite, lance-shaped leaflets and one terminal leaflet. The leaflets are 20 – 50 mm long and the leaves are up to 250 mm long overall. The leaves are glossy dark green or blue-green above, and yellow-green beneath. Fine silky hairs are present on the undersides of the leaves and on the midrib. Older leaves turn yellow and these trees lose most of their leaves in the drier months (winter), but they are soon replaced by new leaves which are reddish-brown and velvety at first. The flowers are similar to those of wisteria
, and are described as mauve, lilac or purple in colour. The fruits are flat, woody pods up to 150 x 40mm and covered with a velvety layer of reddish to golden brown hairs. The pods split (often with a loud popping noise) when dry to release flat, oblong seeds which are easy to grow in fine sandy soil.
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
family from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is commonly called Umzimbeet which is a name derived from the isiZulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
name umSimbithwa.
Distribution
These trees are found in coastal regions of KwaZulu-NatalKwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
(apart from Maputaland
Maputaland
Maputaland is a region of southern Africa situated in the northern part of the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and may also refer to the southern-most region of Mozambique. The South African section was also previously known as Tongaland after the Tonga people who live there, and is...
) and the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. They are said to be most common in the Pondoland area of the Eastern Cape. They grow in forests
Forests of KwaZulu-Natal
Areas of forest grow in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa mostly on south facing slopes in higher rainfall areas, and along the humid coastal areas. Different types of forest can be identified by their species composition which depends mostly on the altitude, latitude and substrate in which they grow...
and on forest margins.
Description
A semi-deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
tree from 10 – 25 m tall. The stem is usually twisted or bent and often branches low down. The bark is smooth on younger branches and flaky on older branches and stems. The colour of the bark is pale brown to pale grey-brown, with some stems appearing reddish where stained by soil from termites. The compound leaves have 3 to 7 pairs of opposite, lance-shaped leaflets and one terminal leaflet. The leaflets are 20 – 50 mm long and the leaves are up to 250 mm long overall. The leaves are glossy dark green or blue-green above, and yellow-green beneath. Fine silky hairs are present on the undersides of the leaves and on the midrib. Older leaves turn yellow and these trees lose most of their leaves in the drier months (winter), but they are soon replaced by new leaves which are reddish-brown and velvety at first. The flowers are similar to those of wisteria
Wisteria
Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, that includes ten species of woody climbing vines native to the eastern United States and to China, Korea, and Japan. Aquarists refer to the species Hygrophila difformis, in the family Acanthaceae, as Water Wisteria...
, and are described as mauve, lilac or purple in colour. The fruits are flat, woody pods up to 150 x 40mm and covered with a velvety layer of reddish to golden brown hairs. The pods split (often with a loud popping noise) when dry to release flat, oblong seeds which are easy to grow in fine sandy soil.