Salicaceae
Casearia barteri
- Slash.
- Bark.
- Leafy shoot with new leaves.
- Midrib and venation, leaf lower surface.
- Leaf base, upper surface.
- Ripe fruit.
General Information
This medium sized tree reaches a diameter of about 40 cm. Without flowers or fruit it is rather nondescript at first glance. If, however, the leaves are held up to the light and examined with a hand lens, then a few pellucid dots and dashes can be seen. This, in addition to the stipular scars and the elongated leaf with a slightly unequal base, should be enough for identification. The bark is light coloured and the slash a complex mixture of pink and yellow colours and layers. There is often a distinct smell, which is hard to describe, from the slash – sometimes it smells chemical or slightly fruity like some species of Annonaceae. The fruit themselves are about 4.5 cm long and split on the branches to reveal the seeds covered in a bright red aril.
Ecology
Mixed species terra firma forest (said to occur in swamp forest in West Africa, Hawthorne & Jongkind, 2006).
Distribution
Distribution: Sierra Leone to Sudan and DRC.