False Assegai

lanceolata: lanceolate

Evergreen shrub or much-branched small tree, 2-10 m. Leaves: petiole 1.5-3 cm; lamina 6-17 cm, ranging from lanceolate to broadly elliptic, glabrous or pubescent especially on the nerves; margin slightly revolute, very shallowly to distinctly serrate. Corolla 1.5-1.8 mm, pale yellow or whitish, scented. Anthers 0.4-0.7 mm. Stigma truncate, ± lobed. Fruit 3-4 mm in diameter, greenish to pale pink. Seeds blackish, angular.

Common in the higher rainfall areas

Maesa lanceolata, the false assegai, is a tree species that is widespread in the Afrotropics, including Madagascar. It occurs from the southern Arabian Peninsula, southwards to the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It grows on stream verges, river banks and forest verges, where it is often a pioneer plant.

Spirally arranged leaves Inflorescence Fruit