Karoo Kuni-rhus 
Searsia burchellii   Tree no 379
This densely branched, evergreen shrub (5 m) has grey to brown, granular bark. Branchlets are squarish, spur-like and spine-tipped, with prominent brown spots (lenticels). Leaves are crowded on dwarf spur-branchlets; leaflets are distinctively egg-shaped, thinly leathery, olive-green and covered in shiny resin; their tips are squared, notched, and their bases are tapering; the yellow central veins are slightly raised on both surfaces; margins are smooth or slightly wavy near the tips; leaf-stalks are yellow and grooved on top (10 mm). Flowers are small, pale green (Apr – May) (Sprays: 40 – 60 mm). Fruit are oval, slightly flattened and shiny reddish-brown (May – Jul) (to 4 mm).
Artwork by Penny Noall

   

Red Currant-rhus 
Searsia chirindensis
A crooked-trunked, low-branching tree (to 5 m) Red Currant-rhus starts as a small spiny shrub. The bark is pale grey to brown, smooth, darkening and cracking as it loses the spines. Leaves are the largest of the Rhus tree species in South Africa; they are drooping with long, reddish leaf-stems; young leaves are red-tinged (60 - 130 x 25 - 40 mm). Flowers are yellow-green, star-shaped, and grow in particularly long, delicate sprays (Aug - Jun) (160 - 200 mm). Fruit are small, round, red-brown or pink (Ripen: Dec - Mar) (4 - 7 mm).
Artwork by Joan van Gogh  

  


Thorny Karee-rhus 
Searsia gueinzii   Tree no 384
This is a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree. It is recognizable by its stout, rounded, spiny shoots. Bark is pale grey to brown and there are numerous raised, brown spots (lenticels) on branchlets. Leaves are often carried on the spiny shoots, and also occur on arching branches; leaflets are usually narrow elliptic, with round to pointed tips and are dark green above and paler green below and hairless; margins are wavy and sometimes toothed in the upper third (Central leaflet 13 – 100 x 5 – 25 mm). Small greenish to lemon-yellow flowers grow in delicate protruding sprays (Sep – Mar) (Spray up to 80 mm). Fruit are spherical shiny orange to reddish-brown, thinly fleshy, and flattened (Apr- Aug) (4 mm).
Artwork by Joan van Gogh  

  

Crowberry Currant-rhus
Searsia pentheri
A small sturdy, crooked trunked tree that branches low down and forms a semi-circular canopy (mature trees 2 – 5 m). Bark is dark brown and corky, with scattered spines often found on young branches. Leaves are shiny bright green with hairy leaf-stems; leaflet margins are often toothed in the upper third (central leaflet: 18 – 45 x 8 – 25 mm).  Small yellow stars-shaped flowers grow in bunches (Aug – Mar). Small dry grape-like fruit are shiny yellow to pale brown (Sept  – Apr) (3 – 5 mm).
Artwork by Joan van Gogh   

 


Waxy Currant-rhus 
Searsia lucida   Tree no 388.1
Usually a deciduous shrub, but occasionally a small tree (4 m), Waxy Currant-rhus has erect branchlets and twigs that hold the leaves upright. All new growth (twigs and leaves) are covered in shiny resin, which become waxy and very glossy. When the leaflets are folded, a grey line appears along the crack; end leaflets are egg-shaped; the tips are broadly tapering to rounded and sometimes notched; leaf-stalks can be 20 mm; leaves turn orange in autumn. Flowers are small, pale yellow-white (Oct – Nov) (Sprays: 50 mm). Fruit are round, shiny brown (Oct – Nov) (3 – 5 mm diam.).
Artwork by Penny Noall