Trichocladus ellipticus

Family

Hamamelidaceae

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Chromosome number

2n = 24

Synonyms

Vernacular names

Wych hazel, witch-hazel, white witch-hazel, Natal hazel (En).

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Origin and geographic distribution

Trichocladus ellipticus occurs from Sudan and Ethiopia, through eastern DR Congo and East Africa, south to southern Africa.

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Uses

The wood of Trichocladus ellipticus is used for construction, fencing, carpentry and carvings, and as firewood. Larger boles are used as posts in building and smaller stems for cross poles. Trichocladus ellipticus is the favourite species of the Maasai people for making frames for their shields. A bark decoction is added to soup or meat to improve digestion and to cure an upset stomach.

Properties

The wood is white, tough and hard, but bends easily. It hardens when heated. The Wandorobo people of East Africa consider the wood termite resistant.

Botany

Shrub or small tree up to 10(–18) m tall; bark smooth or slightly rough, greyish white or creamy brown; young branches with yellow or rusty-brown stellate hairs. Leaves alternate, simple and entire; stipules linear, early caducous; petiole 0.5–2 cm long; blade elliptical to obovate-elliptical or oblanceolate, (1.5–)5–28 cm × 1–12 cm, cuneate to rounded at base, acute to acuminate at apex, densely soft-hairy below, pinnately veined. Inflorescence axillary, head-like; peduncle 5–15 mm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, sessile; calyx with c. 1 mm long tube and 4–5 lobes c. 1 mm long, soft-hairy; petals free, 1–1.5 mm long, white, greenish yellow or yellow, soft-hairy outside; stamens 5, filaments c. 1 mm long, anthers c. 1 mm long; ovary ellipsoid, hairy, 2-celled, styles 2. Fruit a globose capsule 6–8 mm long, pubescent, 1–2-seeded. Seeds ovoid to ellipsoid, c. 5 mm × 3–4 mm, yellowish or greyish, mottled black.
Trichocladus comprises about 4 species, 2 of them endemic to South Africa. It is the only genus of Hamamelidaceae on the African continent and it is not found elsewhere. Two subspecies are distinguished in Trichocladus ellipticus: subsp. malosanus (Baker) Verdc., widespread in tropical Africa, and subsp. ellipticus, restricted to South Africa. The latter is characterized by smaller, narrower and more acuminate leaves.

Description

Other botanical information

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Ecology

Trichocladus ellipticus is found in the understorey of montane forest at 1250–2100(–3000) m altitude, often along streams.

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Propagation and planting

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Genetic resources and breeding

In South Africa Trichocladus ellipticus is considered ‘near threatened’. Elsewhere, it is widespread, often dominant and even occurring in almost pure stands. As it is apparently not heavily exploited there seems to be no threat of genetic erosion.

Prospects

Trichocladus ellipticus will remain only locally important.

Major references

• Dovie, D.B.K., Witkowski, E.T.F. & Shackleton, C.M., 2008. Knowledge of plant resource use based on location, gender and generation. Applied Geography 28(4): 311–322.
• Kokwaro, J.O., 1993. Medicinal plants of East Africa. 2nd Edition. Kenya Literature Bureau, Nairobi, Kenya. 401 pp.
• Mendes, E.J. & Vidigal, M.P., 1978. Hamamelidaceae. In: Launert, E. (Editor). Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 4. Flora Zambesiaca Managing Committee, London, United Kingdom. pp. 71–73.

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Other references

• Coates Palgrave, K., 1983. Trees of southern Africa. 2nd Edition. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. 959 pp.
• Dale, I.R. & Greenway, P.J., 1961. Kenya trees and shrubs. Buchanan’s Kenya Estates Limited, Nairobi, Kenya. 654 pp.
• Ichikawa, M., 1987. A preliminary report on the ethnobotany of the Suiei Dorobo in northern Kenya. African Study Monographs, Supplement 7: 1–52.
• Legilisho-Kiyiap, J., 1998. Forest cover type, habitat diversity, and anthropogenic influences on forest ecosystems adjoining the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. In: Proceedings of a Conference held in August 1998 in Boise, Idaho, USA: 296–304.
• Medley, K.E. & Kalibo, H.W., 2007. Ethnobotanical survey of 'wild' woody plant resources at Mount Kasigau, Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 96(2): 149–186.
• Verdcourt, B., 1989. Hamamelidaceae. In: Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (Editors). Flora of Ethiopia. Volume 3. Pittosporaceae to Araliaceae. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Department of Systematic Botany, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. pp. 252–253.
• von Breitenbach, F., 1994. The indigenous trees of Ethiopia. 3rd edition. Ethiopian Forestry Association, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 272 pp.

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Sources of illustration

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Author(s)

•	C.H. Bosch PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Editors

•	R.H.M.J. Lemmens PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
•	D. Louppe CIRAD, Département Environnements et Sociétés, Cirad es-dir, Campus international de Baillarguet, TA C-DIR / B (Bât. C, Bur. 113), 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
•	A.A. Oteng-Amoako Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), University P.O. Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana

Associate editors

•	E.A. Obeng Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), University P.O. Box 63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana

Photo editor

•	G.H. Schmelzer PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Correct citation of this article

Bosch, C.H., 2010. Trichocladus ellipticus Eckl. & Zeyh. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>. Accessed .

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