Commiphora pyracanthoides Engl.
subsp. pyracanthoides

Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (8)

Commiphora pyracanthoides subsp. pyracanthoides

Photo: Bart Wursten
Crocodile Farm, Kariba

Detailed records: Display species records QDS maps by: Google Maps Point records by Google Maps

Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Commiphora pyracanthoides Engl. subsp. pyracanthoides
Common names:	Firethorn corkwood (English)
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Usually a low spreading much-branched shrub, up to 3 m tall, often forming thickets, rarely a small tree. Bark grey to yellowish-green, flaking in small papery, cream-coloured pieces; short lateral branchlets spine-tipped. Leaves clustered, subsessile, 1-foliolate, sometimes 3-foliolate with much reduced lateral leaflets; lamina obovate, up to 5.5 × 3.2 cm, hairless but sometimes with scattered glands near the base of the midrib; margin toothed. Flowers small, bell-shaped, reddish, in subsessile clusters on the spine-tipped branchlets, appearing before the leaves. Fruit broadly ellipsoid, pointed, c. 1 cm long, hairless. Seeds black with a 3-4-armed red pseudaril. Note: This species is generally similar to C. glandulosa differing mainly in the general shrub-like habit and the hairless calyx. Some 3-foliolate leaves, mostly with very reduced lateral leaflets, are usually present, while in C. glandulosa these are very rare.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	pyracanthoides: resembling a Pyracantha sp. (Rosaceae)
Habitat:
Flowering time:	Oct - Nov
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Limpopo, North-West and Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Botswana distribution:
Growth form(s):	Shrub over 2 m, shrub under 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 375. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 249. Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Namibia Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 77. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 31. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 42. Wild, H. (1963). Burseraceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(1) Page 268.

Other sources of information about Commiphora pyracanthoides subsp. pyracanthoides:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: Commiphora pyracanthoides subsp. pyracanthoides
Flora of Mozambique: Commiphora pyracanthoides subsp. pyracanthoides
Flora of Zambia: Commiphora pyracanthoides subsp. pyracanthoides
Flora of Zimbabwe: Commiphora pyracanthoides subsp. pyracanthoides

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Commiphora pyracanthoides
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Commiphora pyracanthoides
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Commiphora pyracanthoides
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Commiphora pyracanthoides
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Commiphora pyracanthoides
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Commiphora pyracanthoides
JSTOR Plant Science: Commiphora pyracanthoides
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Commiphora pyracanthoides
Plants of the World Online: Commiphora pyracanthoides
Tropicos: Commiphora pyracanthoides
Wikipedia: Commiphora pyracanthoides