Rothmannia capensis
Encyclopedia
Rothmannia capensis is a South Africa
n tree belonging to the Rubiaceae
, usually about 5 m high in the open, but reaching 20 m under forest conditions. It occurs from the south-western Cape Province
along the coastal regions and inland to the Waterberg
and Soutpansberg
in the Transvaal
. It is a common tree on the Witwatersrand
in Johannesburg. It produces abundant sweetly fragrant flowers in summer, and these are followed by smooth, dark green spherical fruits about 80mm in diameter. The blackish bark has a distinctive rectangular pattern of fine cracks.
The genus was named for Göran Rothman
(1739-1778) by Thunberg
- both were pupils of Linnaeus.
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...
n tree belonging to the Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
, usually about 5 m high in the open, but reaching 20 m under forest conditions. It occurs from the south-western Cape Province
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
along the coastal regions and inland to the Waterberg
Waterberg
Waterberg can refer to two articles about an area in Namibia:* Waterberg Biosphere* Waterberg National Park...
and Soutpansberg
Soutpansberg
The Soutpansberg meaning "Salt Pan Mountain" in Afrikaans, is a range of mountains in the far north of South Africa. It is named for the salt pan located at its western end. The mountain reaches the opposite extremity at in the Matikwa Nature Reserve, some due east...
in the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
. It is a common tree on the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
in Johannesburg. It produces abundant sweetly fragrant flowers in summer, and these are followed by smooth, dark green spherical fruits about 80mm in diameter. The blackish bark has a distinctive rectangular pattern of fine cracks.
The genus was named for Göran Rothman
Göran Rothman
Göran Rothman , was a Swedish naturalist, physician and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.-Biography:...
(1739-1778) by Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg aka Carl Pehr Thunberg aka Carl Per Thunberg was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. He has been called "the father of South African botany" and the "Japanese Linnaeus"....
- both were pupils of Linnaeus.