Talk:Ochna pulchra

Similarity between Ochna pulchra and Gifblaar

Kellerman, Coetzer, Naudé, and Botha's Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of Livestock in South Africa specifically mentions that small Ochna pulchra and gifblaar look similar. The leaves are the same shape and have the same looping veins, but Ochna pulchra has toothed margins. Unfortunately, there is no online source for this, which I presume is necessary. 41.247.42.237 (talk) 12:19, 2 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, Ochna pulchra's habit (a small tree) is quite different from Gifblaar which is always a ground hugging shrublet with an extensive underground system. Despite what is said under Dichapetalum cymosum, the leaves cannnot be confused with those of a young Ochna pulchra (except possibly by a one-eyed myopic botanist on a bad day). Rambling in the Magaliesberg, I frequently find Pygmaeothamnus, Parinari and Dichapetalum and I've often wondered whether their supposed resemblance to each other is just another urban myth (or should that be a rural myth). Certainly the average farmer is quite keen-eyed and would never make such a mistake. ciao Rotational (talk) 20:19, 2 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I could've used you about six months ago when I was rambling through said mountains looking for aforementioned 3 shrubs! So I guess the conclusion is it's confusing if you've got almost no botanical background, and didn't expect scouring natural areas for small shrubs to be a part of a veterinary degree. Actually Toxicology turned out to be really fun, thus my reason for passing by this way. I actually created that Gifblaar article as a by-product of research for that subject. I meant to do one for gousiekte too, but never got around to it. I'm sure when you read Gifblaar you can see it's written by someone with little practical knowledge of the subject! Anyway... 41.247.42.237 (talk) 22:18, 2 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]