Pigeonwood - Kloof Conservancy BioGuide
Family Celtidaceae / Ulmaceae - Elm family
Seasonality Evergreen or deciduous, depending on climatic conditions of the area.
Height up to 18m as a tree, also can be found at 1.5m as a shrub
SA Tree Number 42
Conservation Status A pioneer plant, not threatened
A medium-sized tree / shrub with a large canopy, smooth, light-grey bark which frequently is cork-spotted (lenticels), simple, alternate, bright-green leaves which have 3 veins from the base.
Occurs in the wetter regions of eastern and northern South Africa, with nothing south of the Kei river. Usually found in moist soil, along forest margins, watercourses, riverine fringe thicket and also in dry sandy riverbeds.
Small, inconspicuous yellow-green flowers appear in clusters. The sexes are different but can appear on the same tree. Generally from late winter through to autumn.
Fruits are small round green berries on very short stalks, borne from Jan - June, ranging from dark purple to black as they ripen.
An excellent pioneer tree and often the first to appear in disturbed areas.
The young leaves are eaten as a spinach by Zulus.
The wood is light pink but has no commercial value other than fruit-boxes.
Commonly seen in Krantzkloof and have been introduced for shade and bird-life at Nkutu picnic site.
There is always a dead branch somewhere on a Pigeonwood, which attracts barbets and woodpeckers. The fastest growing of all indigenous trees with a record of 7m in a year. Bees pollinate the flowers and birds such as white-eyes, canaries, robins, starlings, sunbirds, doves, swallows and pigeons eat the fruits, also by fruit bats. Many butterfly species use Trema as a larval food plant.
Easily confused with Celtis africana but the main difference is the leaves of Trema orientalis are serrated around the entire margin whereas in the Celtis the serrations are only on the upper half.
Pooley's Trees of the Eastern South Africa
Umndeni Celtidaceae / Ulmaceae - Elm family
Izikhathi zonyaka Kuhlala kuluhlaza noma kuwise amaqabunga ebusika, kuncike esimeni sezulu kuleyondawo.
Ubude Kufinyelela ku 18m njengesihlahla, futhi kungatholakala kungu 1.5m njengesihlahlana esincane.
Conservation Isimo Isithombo sepioneer, asinazinsongo.
Isilinganiso esimaphakathi umshana onompheme omkhulu, othambile, namaxolo ampunga nokukhanyayo okusalukhokho, okucacile, okuphambana, okuluhlaza ngokukhanyayo ngoku-gqamile amaqabunga anemithambo emithathu esiqwidi.
Kuvela ezingznyeni ezimanzi zeMpumalanga kanye neNyakatho yeNingizimu Afrika, akunalutho neNingizimu yeKei River. Ngokujwayelekile atholakala kumhlabathi oswakeme, osebeni lwehlathi, emiseleni yamanzi, isipho somfula osekuminyekeni, nasezindaweni gzomile esihla-Bathini nesiphetho somfula.
Amancane, anezimbali eziphuzi ngokuluhlaza ngokunga-gqamile abonakala esixhenkeni. Ubulili buhlukene kodwa buvela esihlaheni esifanayo. Ngokujwayelekile kusuka ekupheleni kobusika kuze kube intwasahlobo. Izithelo izinhlamvu eziluhlaza ezincane eziyisondo esizothola ohlangeni olufishane kakhulu, luhluma kusuka ngoMasingane kuyaku Nhlangulana, kuhleleka kusuka kokunsomi ngokufiphele kuya kokumnyama njengokuvuthiwe.
Ngezihlahla zama Pioneer ezinobuhlakani ezivame ukuba ngezokuqala ukuvela ezindaweni eziphazamisekile amaqabunga amancne adliwa njengemifino ngama Zulu. Ugodo luhlaba ngokukhanyayo kodwa awanayo intengiso engangeyamabhokisi ezithelo.
Kunokubonakala eKrantzkloof kanti abebonisa ngomthunzi kanye nempilo yeinyoni endaweni yokuzijabulisa ngamadili eseNkutu.
Kuhlale kunamagatsha afile ndawothize umBhangabhanga, ahehaizinyoni kanye neziqophamithi. Ukukhula ngokushesha okukhulukazi kwazozonke izihlahla zemvelo ezinomlando ka 7m ngonyak. Izinyosi zithuthela isikhuphashe ezimbalini kanye nasezinyonini njengomehlwana, ikhaneli, Robins, amasomi, Sunbirds, Amajuba, izinkonjane kanye namavukuthu adla izithelo, ngokunjalo ngeziquzazo isimvemvane eziningi ezilenhlobo usebenzisa umBhangabhanga njengemphethu vesitshalo kulula ukukudidanisa Celtis Africana kodwa umehluko omkhulu ngamaqabunga kwi Trema Orientalis kumazombezombe kusikelewe ukuphela kosebe njengokuthi nalapho kwi Celtis emazombezombe iyona yodwa engxenyeni ephezulu.