Clutia pulchella

Clutia pulchella, the lightning bush, is a southern African dioecious shrub of the family Peraceae. It occurs at middle altitudes in Namibia, Mozambique,^[1] Zimbabwe,^[2] Eswatini,^[3] Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.^[4]

Clutia pulchella
C. pulchella var. pulchella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Peraceae
Genus:	Clutia
Species:	C. pulchella
Binomial name
Clutia pulchella L.

Description

They may grow 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) high,^[3] and occur on a variety of broken terrain types.

The twigs are green with some wart-like growths. Leaf shape is somewhat variable, either blunt-tipped ovate or broadly lanceolate. The foliage is bluish-green but sometimes interspersed with some bright orange leaves.^[5] They are soft with venation that is transparent against light, besides the numerous glands that dot each leaf.^{[5][Note 1]}

The axillary flowers develop into spherical,^[3] clearly three-chambered capsules. The capsules are about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) in diameter, and may bear warts. Seeds are released when the dry capsules burst open.

It is a food plant for the Heidelberg copper butterfly. It is similar to the related monoecious species C. abyssinica, which has the leaves more elongated.^[4]

Close-ups

Foliage

Flowers

Infra-specific taxa

• Clutia pulchella var. pulchella – widespread
• Clutia pulchella var. franksiae Prain – localized in South Africa
• Clutia pulchella var. obtusata Sond. – localized in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Notes

1. i.e. punctate with pellucid glands, or pellucid-punctate.