Dombeya cymosa
Harv.
Malvaceae
Common Name: Natal Wild Pear
General Information
Dombeya cymosa is a deciduous shrub or small tree usually growing up to 3 metres tall, occasionally reaching 8 metres[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for its wood, which is used locally.
Dombeya cymosa has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
,
1954- Title
- Revision of the genus Dombeya (Sterculiaceae) in southern Africa
- Publication
- Bothalia 16,1; 1-9 (1986)
- Author
- Verdoorn I.C. & Herman P.P.J.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
Range
Southern Africa - southern Mozambique, Swaziland, S. Africa.
Habitat
River banks, in forest margins, and in semi-evergreen bushland and scrub forest, often in rocky locations, at elevations up to 1,200 metres[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Deciduous Tree |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Pollinators | Bees |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
In cultivation, species in this genus generally grow best in a moist but well-drained, fertile soil and a position in full sun or partial shade[
974- Title
- Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants - Identification and Cultivation of over 3,000 Tropical Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ahmed Fayaz
- Publisher
- Firefly Books Ltd.; New Zealand
- Year
- 2011
- ISBN
- 978-1-55407-489
- Description
- A good photograph and terse but detailed information for over 3,000 species of tropical plants. An excellent reference.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
None known
Agroforestry Uses:
Excellent honey is recorded to be produced by bees visiting the plant[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
1954- Title
- Revision of the genus Dombeya (Sterculiaceae) in southern Africa
- Publication
- Bothalia 16,1; 1-9 (1986)
- Author
- Verdoorn I.C. & Herman P.P.J.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
Other Uses
The wood is dark brown, fine-grained, hard and suitable for ornaments[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The trunk and branches are used in construction of traditional structures, spear shafts and ornaments[
].
Propagation
Seed is very small but can be extracted from fully ripened, dry flower heads. Its viability declines within 3 months, so fresh seed has to be used for sowing. Seed is to be sown in properly drained seedbeds. Seedlings emerge in about 3 weeks[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Cuttings of semi-ripe wood, preferably with some bottom heat to encourage rooting[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
