Thespesia garckeana F. Hoffm.

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Photo: Grant Reed
Near Airport, Maun.

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Synonyms:	Azanza garckeana (F. Hoffm.) Exell & Hillc. Thespesia rogersii S. Moore
Common names:	Snot apple (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Tree to 10 m. Leaves: lamina up to 20 × 20 cm, subcircular in outline, palmately 3-5-lobed, with a linear fissure 5-10 mm long on the mid-vein beneath; stellate-pubescent to nearly glabrous above, stellate-tomentose to -pubescent beneath; base cordate; apex usually blunt or rounded; margin entire. Flowers c. 6 cm in diameter, yellow or purplish with dark purple or dark red centre. Epicalyx teeth 9-10, up to 12 mm, caducous. Calyx c.10 mm. Fruit a capsule, up to 4 × 3 cm, subspherical to broadly ellipsoid or ovoid, glutinous. Seeds c. 10 × 7 mm, hemispheric, with a brownish woolly floss.
Notes:	Readily recognisable by the distinctive longitudinal fissure on the mid-vein beneath. This may be differently coloured to the rest of the leaf or not and may be of various sizes.
Derivation of specific name:	garckeana: named after Christian Garcke (1819-1904), botanist and plant collector
Habitat:	In a wide range of habitats: woodland, grassland, riverine vegetation and rocky places.
Flowering time:	Dec - May
Worldwide distribution:	Eastern and southern tropical Africa
Botswana distribution:	N,SE
Growth form(s):	Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Sphingomorpha chlorea (Food plant) Olapa fulviceps (Larval foodplant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Saturday 13 June 2020
Literature:	Areces-Berazain, F. & Ackerman, J. (2020). A revision of Thespesia and allied genera in Tribe Gossypieae (Malvaceae-Malvoideae). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-019-09598-5. Brittonia. Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 96 - 97. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 203. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 563. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 5. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 705. (Includes a picture). *Coates Palgrave, K. et al.* (1956).** Trees of Central Africa National Publications Trust, Salisbury. Pages 208 - 211. as Thespesia garckeana (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, M. (1989). Guide to the trees and shrubs of the Mukuvisi Woodlands ?publisher. Page 15. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Page 449. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 259. Drummond, R.B. (1981). Common Trees of the Central Watershed Woodlands of Zimbabwe. Natural Resources Board, Harare. Pages 138 - 139. (Includes a picture). Exell, A.W. (1961). Malvaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2) Pages 432 - 434. (Includes a picture). Kamumvuri, G. (ed.) (2004). Plants of Zimbabwe Report No. 1 National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Pages 6 - 7. (Includes a picture). 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 60. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 74. Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 79. (Includes a picture). Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 394 - 395. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 83. Setshogo, M.P. & Venter, F. (2003). Trees of Botswana: names and distribution SABONET Report No. 18 Southern African Botanical Diversity Network, Pretoria Page 15. Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 48. as Thespesia garckeana (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 119. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 228 - 229. (Includes a picture). Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (2013). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Second edition) Struik, South Africa Pages 276 - 277. (Includes a picture).

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Flora of Burundi: Thespesia garckeana
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Flora of Malawi: Thespesia garckeana
Flora of Mozambique: Thespesia garckeana
Flora of Zambia: Thespesia garckeana
Flora of Zimbabwe: Thespesia garckeana
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Thespesia garckeana

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Thespesia garckeana
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Thespesia garckeana
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Thespesia garckeana
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IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Thespesia garckeana
JSTOR Plant Science: Thespesia garckeana
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Thespesia garckeana
Plants of the World Online: Thespesia garckeana
Tropicos: Thespesia garckeana
Wikipedia: Thespesia garckeana