Protorhus longifolia, the red beech, is a medium to large, mostly dioecious species of tree in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South Africa and Eswatini, where it occurs in well-watered situations from coastal elevations to 1,250 m.[1] The leafy, evergreen trees have rounded crowns and usually grow between 6 and 10 m tall, but regularly taller in forest.[1]
In South Africa they occur from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo.[2] In Eswatini it is present in the western uplands, and in the Lebombo regions.[3] They occur in coastal, scarp and mistbelt forests, rock outcrops, escarpments, riparian fringes, or in woodland.[4]
The bole is up to 1 m in diameter in forest. The bark of a young tree is smooth and brown, but becomes darker and rough with age.[4] The branches have a rough texture and retain leaf scars.[1] They exude a sticky milky sap when broken.[4]
The trees often carry some strikingly yellow or red leaves, especially in winter[1] or on new growth. The simple leaves resemble Mango leaves, and have a scattered, alternate or subopposite arrangement.[4] They measure up to 15 by 3 cm,[1] and are paler below than above. They are glabrous and leathery in texture, and linear-oblong to narrowly elliptic in shape.[5] The leaf margins may be frilled or wavy and are tightly rolled under.[4][6]
The primary, lateral veins have a straight and parallel arrangement. They terminate on, and often fork near the leaf margin. There are up to 40 veins a side,[1] which are prominently raised below.[5] They are light in colour, contrasting with the dark, glossy upper surfaces.[7]
The flowers are small (±4 mm in diameter) and are carried in axillary[1] or terminal panicles.[2] They are greenish-white (male)[3] or pink to red, and appear in early spring (August to October).[6] The ovary is ovoid and the calyx is saucer-shaped. The floral parts are in fives,[6] but female flowers have three styles.[3]
The indehiscent fruit which appear from October to December, are smooth, fleshy drupes[5] that mature to a pale mauve colour[7] in autumn.[1] Each contains a single seed.[5] (cf. Ozoroa)
Various forest mammals and birds feed on the fruit while on the tree, or after they are dropped, while the bark and foliage are browsed by Black rhino.[2]
The fine-grained wood has been used for furniture, planks[2][4] and fence posts,[8] but is not considered very durable.[6] The ground up bark, though somewhat poisonous, is used as "red" muti (Zulu: uMuthi-embomvu).[4] The sticky milky sap has been used a glue, for instance to fix assegai blades to their handles, or as a depilatory.[6]
The species can be cultivated from fresh seed and does well in gardens. They are useful as specimen trees or screening plants,[7] and grow relatively fast, up to 80 cm a year.[2] Though it thrives in warm, moist regions, it is also tolerant of drought and slight frost.[7]
Protorhus longifolia, the red beech, is a medium to large, mostly dioecious species of tree in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South Africa and Eswatini, where it occurs in well-watered situations from coastal elevations to 1,250 m. The leafy, evergreen trees have rounded crowns and usually grow between 6 and 10 m tall, but regularly taller in forest.
