Dombeya pulchra
N.E.Br.
Malvaceae
Common Name: Silver Dombeya
General Information
Dombeya pulchra is usually a shrub growing up to 400cm tall, occasionally becoming a tree up to 7 metres tall[
1926- Title
- Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: keys and diagnostic characters
- Publication
- Strelitzia 6; 1-681
- Author
- Retief E. & Herman P.P.J.
- Publisher
- National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Year
- 1997
- ISBN
- 1-874907-30-7
- Description
-
,
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
-
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is often grown as an ornamental.
Dombeya pulchra 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(2020)[
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
1926- Title
- Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: keys and diagnostic characters
- Publication
- Strelitzia 6; 1-681
- Author
- Retief E. & Herman P.P.J.
- Publisher
- National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Year
- 1997
- ISBN
- 1-874907-30-7
- Description
-
,
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 - Swaziland, northern S. Africa (Northern Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal)
Habitat
Rocky hills, streambanks, tall grass with scattered shrubs[
1926- Title
- Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: keys and diagnostic characters
- Publication
- Strelitzia 6; 1-681
- Author
- Retief E. & Herman P.P.J.
- Publisher
- National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
- Year
- 1997
- ISBN
- 1-874907-30-7
- Description
-
]. Cooler regions with a fairly high rainfall, on rocky hills, in tall grass with scattered shrubs, on the edge of kloofbush or in damp places on banks of streams[
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
-
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Shrub |
| Height | 3.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, 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
The leaves and stem are used in the treatment of glaucoma[
].
The roots are used to treat sexual immaturity[
].
Other Uses
Fruit baskets are made from the bark fibre[
].
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.
