Cunonia capensis
Encyclopedia
Cunonia capensis is a small tree, found in the afromontane
forests of Southern Africa, and along rivers.
It is grown as an ornamental in gardens for its attractive glossy foliage and its clusters of tiny, scented, white flowers.
The large stipule
s which enclose the growth tip are pressed together to form a spoon-like shape, giving the tree its common name of "Butterspoon Tree".
This evergreen
garden tree does not grow well in extremely hot, arid conditions, as it prefers a slightly more temperate climate. It tolerates some frost and it is very fast-growing - provided it has sufficient water. In the open sun it typically reaches about 5 meters, but in forests it can grow up to 10 meters high.
and the Western Cape
of South Africa
, eastwards all the way to Swaziland
and southern Mozambique
. It typically grows in the indigenous Afromontane
forests of Southern Africa, and especially beside rivers.
The greater Cunonia
genus has a disjunct natural distribution
, with the bulk of its 30 species occurring only on the island of New Caledonia
in the Pacific, and one single species (Cunonia capensis) all alone in Southern Africa
. This bizarre distribution of species is probably due to plate tectonics
(continental drift
), as both regions were once adjacent parts of the Gondwana supercontinent.
as an ornamental specimen tree. It is cultivated for its glossy foliage which is tinted with red, and its sprays of cream flowers.
It grows well both in the sun and in the shade, and it can be planted near to buildings because it has a gentle, non-invasive root-system. This has recently made it popular in built-up areas.
It requires a moist environment though, so trees planted in arid areas need frequent watering (especially while still small). However, this has also made it a very suitable tree for marshy, water-logged gardens, or next to rivers. The tree is usually cultivated from the tiny seed
s. The young plants need lots of water and some shelter from direct sunlight.
It is one of the fastest growing trees in Southern Africa.
Afromontane
Afromontane is a term used to describe the Afrotropic subregion and its plant and animal species common to the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula...
forests of Southern Africa, and along rivers.
It is grown as an ornamental in gardens for its attractive glossy foliage and its clusters of tiny, scented, white flowers.
Appearance
Cunonia capensis is a beautiful specimen tree, especially for Southern African gardens. Its foliage is glossy, with tints of red, and it produces sprays of dense, fragrant, cream flowers from February to May. The flowers are bisexual and attract butterflies and honey bees. The fine seeds appear in tiny two-horned capsules and are dispersed by birds and by the wind.The large stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s which enclose the growth tip are pressed together to form a spoon-like shape, giving the tree its common name of "Butterspoon Tree".
This evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
garden tree does not grow well in extremely hot, arid conditions, as it prefers a slightly more temperate climate. It tolerates some frost and it is very fast-growing - provided it has sufficient water. In the open sun it typically reaches about 5 meters, but in forests it can grow up to 10 meters high.
Distribution
Cunonia capensis naturally ranges from Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, eastwards all the way to Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
and southern Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. It typically grows in the indigenous Afromontane
Afromontane
Afromontane is a term used to describe the Afrotropic subregion and its plant and animal species common to the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula...
forests of Southern Africa, and especially beside rivers.
The greater Cunonia
Cunonia
Cunonia is a genus of flowering plants, which includes several species of evergreen trees and shrubs. Some authors merge Weinmannia into Cunonia....
genus has a disjunct natural distribution
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
, with the bulk of its 30 species occurring only on the island of New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
in the Pacific, and one single species (Cunonia capensis) all alone in Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
. This bizarre distribution of species is probably due to plate tectonics
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
(continental drift
Continental drift
Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other. The hypothesis that continents 'drift' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596 and was fully developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912...
), as both regions were once adjacent parts of the Gondwana supercontinent.
Cultivation
Cunonia capensis is increasingly cultivated across Southern AfricaSouthern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
as an ornamental specimen tree. It is cultivated for its glossy foliage which is tinted with red, and its sprays of cream flowers.
It grows well both in the sun and in the shade, and it can be planted near to buildings because it has a gentle, non-invasive root-system. This has recently made it popular in built-up areas.
It requires a moist environment though, so trees planted in arid areas need frequent watering (especially while still small). However, this has also made it a very suitable tree for marshy, water-logged gardens, or next to rivers. The tree is usually cultivated from the tiny seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. The young plants need lots of water and some shelter from direct sunlight.
It is one of the fastest growing trees in Southern Africa.
Further reading
- Kubizki, Klaus ed. (2004). Flowering Plants, Dicotyledons: Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales, Ericales (The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Volume VI). Springer, Berlin.
- Missouri Botanic Garden TROPICOS Nomenclatural Database. Accessed December 28, 2007.