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<big>''[[Ochna holstii]]'' Engl.</big>
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Ochna holstii'' (PROTA)}}
:Protologue: Abh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin: 69 (1894).
The properties given refer to wood of several ''Ochna'' species, including that of ''Ochna holstii''. The heartwood is pale red-brown and distinctly demarcated from the narrow, pale yellow sapwood. The grain is straight, texture fine and even. The wood is heavy, with a density of 880–950 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content. It air dries well, but has some tendency to surface checking and warping. The wood is hard, tough and elastic. It saws and works remarkably well for its high density. It planes to a smooth, lustrous surface and takes a nice polish. Pre-boring is required for nailing and screwing. Slicing and jointing properties are good and gluing properties excellent. The wood is moderately durable, but has been reported to be resistant to termites.
== Botany Description ==
Deciduous shrub or small to medium-sized tree up to 25(–30) m tall; bole branchless for up to 6 m, usually straight; bark surface smooth, grey or grey-brown, inner bark granular-fibrous, hard, pale orange outwards and brown-red with white lines inwards; twigs somewhat quadrangular, purplish brown, glabrous, with numerous small lenticels. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules caducous; petiole 1–3 mm long, slender, grooved above; blade oblanceolate to obovate or oblong-elliptical, (1.5–)5–13 cm × (0.5–)1.5–4 cm, base cuneate or sometimes rounded, apex acute or acuminate, margins densely set with curved teeth, herbaceous to papery, glabrous, pinnately veined with up to 25 pairs of lateral veins. Inflorescence a short raceme, with rachis up to 2 cm long, glabrous, 5–20-flowered. Flowers bisexual, nearly regular, 5-merous; pedicel 1.5–4 cm long, jointed near base; sepals free, oblong-elliptical, slightly unequal, 6–9 mm long, enlarging and becoming red in fruit; petals free, obovate, 8–12 mm long, with a short claw at base, yellow; stamens numerous, free, c. 5 mm long; carpels 5(–6), free, styles completely fused, stigma 5(–6)-lobed or globose. Fruit consisting of some free ellipsoid-cylindrical, black drupelets, 8–14 mm × 5–9 mm, each 1-seeded.
== Other botanical information ==
''Ochna holstii'' is variable, especially in leaf size and shape, and in habit. In South Africa it flowers in September–November and fruits mature 1–2 months later.
''Ochna'' comprises about 80 species and occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. Mainland Africa is by far richest in species, about 15 species are endemic to Madagascar and 1 to the Mascarene islands, whereas about 5 species are found in Asia.
=== ''Ochna afzelii'' ===''[[Ochna afzelii]]'' R.Br. ex Oliv. (synonym: ''Ochna gilletiana'' Gilg), called ‘ochna blanche’ in French, is a shrub or small tree up to 13 m tall, occurring in savanna woodland and forest margins from Guinea eastward to Sudan and Uganda, and southward to Zambia and Angola. Its pale brown and attractively marked wood is heavy and hard, and used for joinery, cabinet work and turnery, and traditionally for walking sticks and hoe handles. The fruit is edible and the seed is oily. In Central Africa the bark enters into traditional medicines against skin parasites, anaemia, cough and dysentery, whereas leaf pulp is applied to treat gingivitis. In Mali, leafy twigs are used in the treatment of paralysis. Pharmacological research has so far not found support for the traditional medicinal uses.
=== ''Ochna arborea'' ===''[[Ochna arborea]]'' Burch. ex DC., called ‘Cape plane’ or ‘redwood’, is a shrub or small tree up to 12 m tall, occurring in evergreen forest and bushland in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. Its wood is heavy, hard and strong, and is used to make tool handles and carved sticks. The bark contains tannins and has been used as snuff against headache. ''Ochna ovata'' F.Hoffm., called ‘buttercup bush’, is a deciduous shrub or small tree up to 9(–15) m tall, occurring in dry forest and bushland in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Its wood is similar to that of ''Ochna holstii'' and is used for construction, walking sticks, arrow shafts and pegs, and as firewood. In Tanzania leaf sap is applied as an eye medicine and root extracts against stomach-ache with diarrhoea. ''Ochna thomasiana'' Engl. & Gilg, called ‘bird’s eye plant’ or ‘mickey mouse plant’, is a shrub or small tree up to 6(–10) m tall, occurring in evergreen bushland and coastal forest in Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. Its brown durable wood is used for door frames in Kenya. ''Ochna thomasiana'' is cultivated as ornamental and sometimes naturalized outside its natural distribution area, e.g. in DR Congo, Hawaii and India. == Description == == Other botanical information ==
=== ''Ochna ovata'' ===
''[[Ochna ovata]]'' F.Hoffm., called ‘buttercup bush’, is a deciduous shrub or small tree up to 9(–15) m tall, occurring in dry forest and bushland in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Its wood is similar to that of ''Ochna holstii'' and is used for construction, walking sticks, arrow shafts and pegs, and as firewood. In Tanzania leaf sap is applied as an eye medicine and root extracts against stomach-ache with diarrhoea.
=== ''Ochna thomasiana'' ===
''[[Ochna thomasiana]]'' Engl. & Gilg, called ‘bird’s eye plant’ or ‘mickey mouse plant’, is a shrub or small tree up to 6(–10) m tall, occurring in evergreen bushland and coastal forest in Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. Its brown durable wood is used for door frames in Kenya. ''Ochna thomasiana'' is cultivated as ornamental and sometimes naturalized outside its natural distribution area, e.g. in DR Congo, Hawaii and India.
== Ecology ==
* Bolza, E. & Keating, W.G., 1972. African timbers: the properties, uses and characteristics of 700 species. Division of Building Research, CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia. 710 pp.
== Other references ==
* Beentje, H.J., 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. 722 pp.
== Author(s) ==
* L.P.A. Oyen , PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands
== Correct citation of this article ==
Oyen, L.P.A., 2012. '''Ochna holstii''' Engl. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>. Accessed {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}.
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[[Category:PROTA prov]][[Category:Timbers (PROTA)]]