Ochna serrulata

Sägeblättrige nail Berry ( Ochna serrulata )

The Sägeblättrige nail Berry ( Ochna serrulata ) is a species of the genus nail berries ( Ochna ) in the family of nail berry plants ( Ochnaceae ). In English, it also carries the funny sounding trivial name "Mickey Mouse plans", which is explained by the appearance of ripe black berries in the middle of the red sepals.

Description

Appearance and foliage leaf

The Sägeblättrige nail berry grows as a shrub or small tree of rare and often only achieved stature heights of 1 to 2 meters, more rarely to about 6 feet. The slender branches have a smooth and brown bark that is covered with small, brightly - colored, raised dots. The leaves are with a length of 1.3 to 5 cm narrow elliptically shaped with a rounded base and sometimes narrowed at the top of with blunt or pointed ends. The leaf margin is serrated with upward teeth. The median nerve and the lateral veins are conspicuous on the upper leaf surface. During sprouting in spring, the leaves are beautiful pink - bronze and later glossy green.

Flower

The flowering time is in the spring, in the home in September to November, as this is part of the southern hemisphere. The fragrant, hermaphrodite, radial symmetry flowers have a diameter of about 2 cm and have a double perianth. The yellow petals are indeed a short shelf life but at this time a very beautiful jewelry. There are many stamens present. Pollination is mainly by bees and butterflies.

Fruit

Most are five to six fruits together. The more or less globular, berry-like drupes are green at first and when ripe in early summer (November) shiny black. Until the ripening of the fruits, the strong bright - red sepals enlarge. Since the sepals remain until late summer ( January-February ) on the bush, the entire shrub appears several months conspicuous red. The ripe black fruits are eaten by birds.

Occurrence

The home of Sägeblättrige nail Berry is located in the subtropical southern Africa, more precisely in eastern South Africa and Swaziland. It thrives along the subtropical east coast before at altitudes from 0 to 1800 meters. They often form the shrub layer in the woods.

In Oceania and Hawaii she was naturalized.

The Sägeblättrige nail berry tolerate light frosts, but is not hardy in Central Europe.

Swell

• Giles Mbambezeli & Alice Notten. Ochna serrulata plantzafrica.com at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, 2002 ( Section Description and occurrence)