| Leucosidea sericea | |
|---|---|
| Leucosidea sericea | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Rosoideae |
| Tribe: | Sanguisorbeae |
| Subtribe: | Agrimoniinae |
| Genus: | Leucosidea Eckl. & Zeyh. |
| Species: | L. sericea |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucosidea sericea Eckl. & Zeyh. |
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Leucosidea sericea, commonly known as Ouhout in Afrikaans, is a species of evergreen tree or large shrub native to the Afromontane regions of Southern Africa. It is the sole species in the genus Leucosidea. The English name Old Wood is a mere translation of the Afrikaans "Ouhout" or "Oudehout".
The generic name (Leucosidea) is derived from the Greek words for "white or grey appearance", while the species name (sericea) is the Latin for "silky" in reference to the silky hairs on the leaves of the tree.
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Leucosidea sericea belongs to the family Rosaceae (the Rose family). This is a very large and economically important family. It is mostly found occurring naturally in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It comprises 120 genera with 3000 species worldwide. This family includes some common fruit crop plants such as the apple, peach, plum, prune, nectarine, pear, apricot, almond, cherry, loquat, quince, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry. This family also includes one of the most popular ornamental plants in the world namely the Rose. Rose oil is one of the world's most valuable oils and is used as a base for most perfumes. Rosaceae is however a poorly represented family in southern Africa with fewer than eight native tree species and a number of naturalised aliens.
The ouhout is often a straggly shrub or a dense, small, evergreen tree, which grows up to 7m tall to 5m wide. It is single or multi-stemmed and branches low down. The bark is rough, reddish brown in colour and flakes off to reveal a smooth light brown under-bark. The leaves are alternately arranged, compound and covered with silky, silver hairs. Each leaf possesses 3 to 4 pairs of leaflets. The veins on the leaves are deeply sunken on the upper surface and protrude on the lower surface. The leaves are a dark green colour above and a lighter green colour below. The margins of the leaflets are deeply serrated. When the leaves are crushed they have a strong herb-like smell.
The flowers are greenish-yellow in colour, star-shaped, and grow in spikes at the ends of young shoots in spring (August to September). The fruits are nut-like and about 3 mm in diameter (December to January).
The flowers and young shoots of this plant are browsed by cattle and goats in spring. The ouhout produces nectar which is probably utilised by bees and other insects.
Apparently in mountainous areas where the ouhout occurs near streams it is an indication that they are suitable for being stocked with trout. Zulu people use a paste made from the crushed leaves of L. sericea for treating ophthalmia (an eye ailment). The tree is used by the local people as a charm to protect the inhabitants of homesteads.
In the South African Journal of Botany 2004, 70(4): 509Ð511, it was reported: "The leaves of Leucosidea sericea are used medicinally by some indigenous South African people as a vermifuge and astringent." A study showed that "the plant has antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans."
L. sericea is usually found growing in dense thickets at altitudes above 1000 metres. It can be found growing in open grassland, along river banks and on wooded, rocky ridges. It is usually found growing in damp conditions, on deep, sandy or clayey and often rocky soil.
L. sericea can be found above 1000 meters elevation in the highlands of South Africa (Eastern Cape, western KwaZulu-Natal, eastern Free State, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo provinces), Lesotho, rarely in Swaziland and Zimbabwe. It forms dense thickets on overgrazed, eroded or otherwise disturbed areas and can, therefore, become a problem plant on farm lands. Its presence is often an indication of overgrazing or poor veld management.
The wood weighs 38 pounds per cubic foot, and is used for fencepost's and fuel mainly.