Chonzwe Mpati

kirkii: named after Dr John Kirk, who accompanied David Livingstone on his Zambezi expedition of 1858

Evergreen shrub or small tree up to c. 5 m tall. Often conspicuous during the dry season, when most other shrubs and trees are leafless and dry. Leaves simple, oblong-obovate or oblanceolate, 4-12 cm long, thickly leathery, shiny green above, dull green below, somewhat rough on both surfaces; netveining conspicuous; apex with a hair-like tip; margin entire. Flowers in dense terminal clusters; sepals green, pubescent on both sides; petals present, very small, creamy-whitish; stamens c. 60, up to 3 cm long. Fruit round, up to 1.7 cm in diameter, shiny red when ripe, usually pendulous on stalks up to 2.5 cm long.

Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe.