{{Short description|Species of tree}} {{Speciesbox |name = Purple-pod terminalia |image = Terminalia prunioides, habitus naby Marnitz, Limpopo, a.jpg |image2 = Purple-pod Cluster-leaf (Terminalia prunioides) (12025978225).jpg |image2_caption = Habit, inflorescence and fruit |status = LC |status_system = IUCN3.1 |status_ref = <ref name="iucn" /> |genus = Terminalia |species = prunioides |authority = M.A.Lawson |synonyms_ref = <ref name="powo" /> |synonyms = {{Species list |Terminalia benguellensis |Welw. ex Hiern |Terminalia hararensis |Engl. |Terminalia holstii |Engl. |Terminalia petersii |Engl. |Terminalia porphyrocarpa |Schinz |Terminalia rautanenii |Schinz |Terminalia somalensis |Engl. & Diels }} |range_map = |range_map_caption = }}
'''''Terminalia prunioides''''', commonly known as the '''purple-pod cluster-leaf''', '''purple-pod terminalia''', or in Afrikaans as '''sterkbos''' or '''bloedvrugboom''', is a small deciduous African tree in the family Combretaceae.<ref name="powo" /><ref name="papa" /><ref name="plantaeDB" /> It is native to eastern and south-central parts of the continent, ranging from Ethiopia and Somalia in the north to South Africa in the south.<ref name="powo" /><ref name="powo2" />
==Taxonomy and naming== The species was first described by the Scottish botanist Marmaduke Alexander Lawson in 1871 in the ''Flora of Tropical Africa''.<ref name="powo" /><ref name="powo2" /> The generic name ''Terminalia'' is derived from the Latin word ''terminus'', referring to the habit of the leaves being clustered at the ends of the shoots. The specific epithet ''prunioides'' is derived from the Latin ''prunus'' (plum) and the Greek ''oides'' (resembling), in reference to the plum-red colour of the mature fruits.<ref name="worldagroforestry" />
==Description== ''Terminalia prunioides'' is a small, multi-stemmed or single-stemmed deciduous tree that typically grows to a height of {{convert|2.5|to|15|m|ft|0}}. The trunk can reach up to {{convert|40|cm|in|0}} in diameter.<ref name="worldagroforestry" /><ref name="fern" /> The bark is pale grey to grey-black, deeply fissured, and fibrous.<ref name="FZ" /><ref name="caprivi" /> Long, smooth, arching branches spread outwards and downwards, and spines are occasionally present on the long branches. The short, rigid, often purplish twigs grow sharply outwards at right angles to the branches, giving the tree's silhouette a characteristically spiky appearance.<ref name="FZ" /><ref name="worldagroforestry" />
The leaves are borne in fascicles (clusters) on short, spur-like branchlets. The leaf blade (lamina) is chartaceous (papery), broadly obovate to elliptic-obovate, measuring up to {{convert|7.5|cm|in|1}} long and {{convert|3|cm|in|1}} wide. The apex is rounded, emarginate (notched), or mucronate (with a short, sharp point), and the base is obtuse to cuneate. Young leaves are densely covered with soft hairs (pubescent) but become almost hairless (glabrescent) as they mature. The leaves are dark green above and paler below, with 3–5 pairs of lateral veins that are somewhat impressed on the upper surface.The petiole (leaf stalk) is {{convert|0.5|–|2.5|cm|in|1}} long.<ref name="FZ" /><ref name="caprivi" /><ref name="FTEA" />
The inflorescences are slender, lateral spikes, {{convert|5|–|8|cm|in|1}} long, borne at the ends of short branchlets.<ref name="FZ" /><ref name="FTEA" /> The flowers are small, starry, and cream or white in colour, with a strong, unpleasant smell. They lack petals, but have a conspicuous puff of yellow stamens that are {{convert|3|–|4|mm|in|1}} long. Each inflorescence contains both male and bisexual flowers, with the male flowers concentrated towards the apex.<ref name="FZ" /><ref name="worldagroforestry" />
The fruit is a distinctive, winged samara (a type of dry, indehiscent fruit) that is elliptic-oblong in outline, {{convert|4|–|6.5|cm|in|1}} long and {{convert|2|–|3|cm|in|1}} wide. When mature, it is a striking purplish-brown, plum-coloured, or deep red, which is the origin of its common name. The apex is obtuse, deeply emarginate, or mucronate.<ref name="FZ" /><ref name="FTEA" /> The single seed is contained within a hard, woody endocarp in the thickened centre of the fruit, surrounded by a tough, flat wing.<ref name="worldagroforestry" />
==Distribution and habitat== The species has a wide distribution in eastern and southern Africa. Its native range includes Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa (in the Northern Provinces), Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.<ref name="powo" /><ref name="powo2" />
It typically occurs in hot, frost-free areas at low altitudes, from sea level up to {{convert|1400|m|ft|-2}}.<ref name="FTEA" /><ref name="fern" /> It is found in a variety of habitats, including arid and semi-arid savanna and woodland, often associated with mopane (''Colophospermum mopane'') or ''Acacia'' and ''Combretum'' species. It also grows on stony slopes, rocky hillsides, coastal bushlands, riverine thickets, and alluvial plains.<ref name="FTEA" /><ref name="worldagroforestry" /><ref name="caprivi" />
==Ecology== The flowers are pollinated by insects.<ref name="fern" /> The tree's habit of producing leaves and flowers on short, spur-like branchlets is an adaptation to arid environments. The fruits are dispersed by wind due to their winged structure.<ref name="worldagroforestry" /> The larvae of the shield-bearer moth ''Holocacista varii'' are leaf miners that have been recorded on ''T. prunioides'' in South Africa.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=van Nieukerken |first1=Erik J. |last2=Geertsema |first2=Henk |date=2015-06-08 |title=A new leafminer on grapevine and ''Rhoicissus'' (Vitaceae) in South Africa within an expanded generic concept of ''Holocacista'' (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Heliozelidae) |journal=ZooKeys |issue=507 |pages=41–97 |doi=10.3897/zookeys.507.9536 |doi-access=free |pmid=26155048 |pmc=4490219 }}</ref>
==Uses== ===Timber and fuel=== The wood is yellow, hard, heavy, tough, and exceptionally durable, even in saline water where it is resistant to borers. It is traditionally used for making tool handles, fence posts, hut building, dhow keels, and wagon axles. It is also valued as a good source of firewood and for making high-quality charcoal.<ref name="worldagroforestry" /><ref name="fern" /><ref name="plazi" />
===Medicinal uses=== The plant is used in traditional medicine across its range. In Somalia, a decoction is taken to relieve postnatal abdominal pains.<ref name="worldagroforestry" /> The bark is chewed to treat coughs, sore throats, and stomach-aches, while the roots are chewed to treat colds.<ref name="fern" /> Research has shown that leaf extracts of ''T. prunioides'' possess significant antifungal activity against pathogens such as ''Microsporum canis'', which causes ringworm and other dermatophyte infections.<ref name="antifungal">{{Cite journal |last1=Masoko |first1=Peter |last2=Pickard |first2=J. |last3=Eloff |first3=J.N. |date=2005-08-12 |title=Antifungal activities of six South African ''Terminalia'' species (Combretaceae) |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874105001571 |journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |volume=99 |issue=2 |pages=301–308 |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2005.02.019 |pmid=15878272 |access-date=2026-03-13|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
===Other uses=== An edible gum exudes from the trunk and branches of the tree. A tea is sometimes made from the fruits and leaves. The leaves can be used as a green manure to improve soil. The rotten heartwood is occasionally pulverised and used as a fragrance for cosmetic purposes.<ref name="worldagroforestry" /><ref name="fern" />
==Conservation== ''Terminalia prunioides'' has a very wide distribution and is a common species throughout much of its range. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.<ref name="iucn" /> A global conservation prediction based on extinction risk also classifies it as "not threatened".<ref name="powo2" />
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="powo">{{cite web |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' M.A.Lawson |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:45890-2 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=18 April 2021}}</ref> <ref name="powo2">{{cite web |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' M.A.Lawson |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:171334-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=13 March 2026}}</ref> <ref name="papa">{{cite web |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' |url=http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/ |website=Plants and People Africa |access-date=18 April 2021}}</ref> <ref name="FZ">{{cite journal |last1=Exell |first1=A.W. |date=1978 |title=Combretaceae |journal=Flora Zambesiaca |volume=4 |pages=168–170 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew}}</ref> <ref name="FTEA">{{cite journal |last1=Wickens |first1=G.E. |date=1973 |title=Combretaceae |journal=Flora of Tropical East Africa |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew}}</ref> <ref name="worldagroforestry">{{cite web |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' |url=https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb2/speciesprofile.php?Spid=1628 |website=Agroforestree Database |publisher=World Agroforestry Centre |access-date=13 March 2026}}</ref> <ref name="fern">{{cite web |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' |url=https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Terminalia+prunioides |website=Useful Tropical Plants |access-date=13 March 2026}}</ref> <ref name="plantaeDB">{{cite web |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' M.A.Lawson |url=https://plantaedb.com/taxa/terminalia-prunioides |website=PlantaeDB |access-date=13 March 2026}}</ref> <ref name="caprivi">{{cite web |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' M.A. Lawson |url=https://www.capriviflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=142180 |website=Flora of Caprivi |access-date=13 March 2026}}</ref> <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) |author2= IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group |name-list-style=& |year=2019 |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' |volume=2019 |article-number=e.T146222055A146222057 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T146222055A146222057.en |access-date=13 March 2026}}</ref> <ref name="plazi">{{cite journal |last1=Monteiro |first1=F. |title=''Terminalia prunioides'' M.A.Lawson |journal=Phytotaxa |date=2022 |volume=557 |issue=1 |doi=10.11646/phytotaxa.557.1.1 |url=http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C087B3F6429759D1C2FB40B6E4FA52|hdl=10400.5/25536 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> }}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Terminalia prunioides}} *{{Wikispecies-inline|Terminalia prunioides}}
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prunioides Category:Flora of East Tropical Africa Category:Flora of South Tropical Africa Category:Flora of Southern Africa Category:Plants described in 1871 Category:Trees of Africa Category:Medicinal plants of Africa Category:Least concern plants