silver terminalia

The silver cluster-leaf grows to a height of about 9 metres (30 ft) in woodland but isolated trees can be up to 23 metres (75 ft) tall. The bark is a reddish or greyish brown colour and peels away in strips. The bluish-green leaves tend to be clustered at the tips of the branches. They are ovate with entire margins and both the upper and lower surfaces are clothed in silvery hairs. The flowers are white and are borne in short axilliary spikes. They have an unpleasant smell and may be pollinated by flies. The fruit are winged nuts containing a single seed and turn a darker pink colour as they ripen. They may remain attached to the branch for a year and are dispersed by the wind. They sometimes become contorted and hairy as a result of the activities of parasitic insect larvae.

The silver cluster-leaf is endemic to Africa from Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo southwards to South Africa. It grows in open mixed woodland on sandy soils. It is often found growing with miombo (Brachystegia spp.), mopane (Colophospermum mopane), Acacia spp. and bush willows (Combretum spp.). It is often one of the dominant species in mixed woodland.

The timber of the silver cluster-leaf is yellow and hard-grained and is resistant to attack by wood-boring insects and termites. It is used in building construction and to make tool handles, furniture and fencing posts. It is used for firewood and the making of charcoal. The bark has been used to make ropes and is also pounded to produce a substance for waterproofing boats. The leaves are eaten by cattle during the dry season when grass becomes unavailable. In traditional medicine, both leaves and roots have been used as a remedy for stomach ailments and a concoction of the roots for treating bilharzia, diarrhoea and pneumonia. The bark is used against diabetes and to dress wounds.

The generic name is derived from the Latin terminus meaning "boundary" and describes the concentration of the foliage at the very end of the twigs. The specific name "sericea" comes from the Latin sericatus meaning "clothed in silken hair" and describes the downy foliage.