Curtisia
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| Curtisia dentata C.A.Sm. |
Curtisia dentata, commonly known as Cape Lancewood or Assegai (after the assegai spear), is a flowering plant from southern Africa. It is the sole species in genus Curtisia, which was originally included among the Cornaceae, but is now placed in its own family Curtisiaceae. It is an evergreen tree growing to 15 m tall, with opposite, coarsely-toothed leaves 5-11 cm long.
The Cape Lancewood grows in the forests of South Africa and Swaziland, ranging from sea level to 1800 meters elevation, from Western Cape to Limpopo province. In the mature Afromontane forest it grows to a tall tree, while on grassy mountain slopes and coastal scrub it remains small and bushy.
Curtisia is named after the botanist William Curtis (1746-1799), founder of Curtis's Botanical Magazine.
