Allophylus natalensis
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| Allophylus natalensis | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Genus: | Allophylus |
| Species: | A. natalensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Allophylus natalensis (Sond.) De Winter | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Allophylus natalensis, commonly known as the dune false crowberry[2] or dune false currant,[3] is a species of plant in the genus Allophylus native to south-eastern Africa.
Allophylus natalensis is a small evergreen tree with a single stem up to 5 m (16 ft) tall, or it may develop as a bush with multiple, shorter stems. The bark is greyish-brown and may have a smooth texture or develop wrinkles. The smaller branches are greyish-white and downy. The leaves are borne on long petioles and are trifoliate, with three, almost stalkless, elliptical leaflets some 35 to 85 mm (1.4 to 3.3 in) long by 10 to 20 mm (0.4 to 0.8 in) wide. The leaflets are leathery and stiff, glossy green above, and pale green below, with shallowly toothed margins. The small fragrant flowers grow in spike-like racemes in the axils of the leaves, and are followed by abundant red, globular berries, 7 mm (0.3 in) in diameter. Flowering takes place in autumn between March and May and the berries ripen in late winter, between June and August.[2][3]
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