About Ochna pulchra Hook.
Ochna pulchra Hook. has distinctive bark that peels in thin flakes to reveal creamy-white underbark; this appearance is similar to the bark of Corymbia maculata, guava, or Pride-of-India. New spring foliage has an oily surface, and ranges in color from light green to bronze or bright red. When mature, the foliage turns to a fresh, shiny green. Abundant lemon-yellow flowers bloom in spring. After flowering, the persistent yellow-green calyx changes color, turning pink, then bright red. The fruit is a kidney-shaped drupe: it starts green and matures to black. This tree grows in central Transvaal and the northern Kruger National Park, with its range extending further to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It acts as an indicator species for Gifveld, a type of veld that hosts the toxic small plant Dichapetalum cymosum, which is easily overlooked.
