Bolusanthus
{{Short description|Genus of legumes}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Bolusanthus speciosus (1).jpg
| image_caption =
| image2 = Bolusanthus speciosus.jpg
| image2_caption = Habit
| display_parents = 2
| genus = Bolusanthus
| parent_authority = Harms (1906)
| species = speciosus
| authority = (Bolus) Harms (1906)
| synonyms =
- Lonchocarpus speciosus Bolus (1889)
- Bolusanthus speciosus f. albescens {{small|Yakovlev (1972)}}
}}
Bolusanthus speciosus (tree wisteria) is a species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. It is the only member of the genus Bolusanthus .{{cite web | url = http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Leguminosae/Bolusanthus/ | title = The Plant List entry for Bolusanthus | date = 2013 | website = The Plant List | publisher = Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden | accessdate = 14 May 2014 }}{{cite web | url = http://www.ildis.org/LegumeWeb?version~10.01&genus~Bolusanthus&species~ | title = ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Bolusanthus | author = | website = International Legume Database & Information Service | publisher = Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics | accessdate = 14 May 2014 }}{{cite web | url = http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?1560 | title = GRIN species records of Bolusanthus | author = USDA | author-link = USDA | author2 = ARS | author2-link = Agricultural Research Service | author3 = National Genetic Resources Program | website = Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database] | publisher = National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland | accessdate = 14 May 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924095712/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?1560 | archive-date = 24 September 2015 | url-status = dead }}
Description
It is a small deciduous tree, which can grow up to {{convert|7|m|abbr=on}} tall. It has black, fissured rough bark and also drooping branches. Between September and October, when the tree has no leaves it begins to bloom, with lilac blue flowers. Later it produces a seed capsule, the grey pods contain 3-8 smooth, bright yellow or brown seeds.{{cite book |editor-last1=Drummond |editor-first1=R.B. |title=The Bundu Book of Trees, Flowers and Grasses |date=1972 |publisher=Longman Rhodesia |location=Salisbury, Rhodesia |isbn=058257532X |page=35 |edition=2nd}}
The wood is very hard, heavy and yellow in colour. It can be used for axe-handles, wagon spokes and fencing poles. The tree is also grown in gardens due to the attractive flowers.
Distribution
It is native to KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Provinces (of South Africa), Eswatini, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.{{cite web |title=Bolusanthus speciosus (Bolus) Harms {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:481946-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |access-date=13 August 2023 |language=en}} It is found in low to medium elevations in woodland or wooded grasslands.
Taxonomy
The genus name of Bolusanthus is in honour of Harry Bolus, (1834 – 1911) who was a South African botanist, botanical artist, businessman and philanthropist.{{cite book | last=Burkhardt | first=Lotte | title=Verzeichnis eponymischer Pflanzennamen – Erweiterte Edition |trans-title=Index of Eponymic Plant Names – Extended Edition | publisher=Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin | year=2018 | isbn=978-3-946292-26-5 | url=https://doi.org/10.3372/epolist2018 |format=pdf |language=German |location=Berlin | doi=10.3372/epolist2018 |access-date=1 January 2021}}
It was first published and described by (Bolus) Hermann Harms (a German botanist) in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 2: 15 in 1906.
References
{{Reflist|2}}
- {{Wikispecies-inline}}
- {{Commons category-inline|Bolusanthus}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q3109346|from2=Q13036265}}
Category:Flora of Southern Africa
Category:Plants described in 1899