African Wildlife & Environment Issue 81

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

MARULA STORIES

Eugene Moll

Now that African Wildlife & Environment has gone digital, John Wesson tells me that articles can be a wee bit longer and, more importantly, have more photographs. He and his team do an excellent job with the magazine - and I know this from experience because I edited Natal Wildlife for six quarters, back in the 1970s, and was so thankful that I got a new job at UCT and was forced to give up the editorship! The amount of voluntary work required is mostly not realised and acknowledged - so to John and team WELL DONE for the sterling work you do. As contributors you make our task much easier – so a BIG THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!

Lowveld Marula sunset

Taxonomy Some may remember that this tree was once Sclerocarya caffra , before it was recognised that there was just one species in Africa, and that the oldest name was S. birrea . This meant our local southern African species had to be re-named, and at the same time it was recognised as a separate subspecies - hence it is now correctly named S. birrea subsp. caffra . And as many may, or may not know, it belongs to the mango family, Anacardiaceae - that includes Harpephyllum caffrum , all the Searsia species and ten other genera, as well as non-indigenous species like Brazilian Pepper Schinus terebinthifolius and nuts like Cashew and Pistachio.

Introduction In response to the liberty of being able to write at greater length, I am writing 'Marula Stories', since this iconic African tree is so important to so many - both people and other animals.AND I am going to suggest that it may well be threatened in the Kruger National Park by mammalian herbivory too! When one is writing stories, many stories about one tree species, the first consideration is where to start? How much is fact, and how much is not! And then, of course, how and where to end the stories?

20 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 81 (2022)