| Cape beech |
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| Scientific classification |
| Kingdom: |
Plantae |
| Clade: |
Tracheophytes |
| Clade: |
Angiosperms |
| Clade: |
Eudicots |
| Clade: |
Asterids |
| Order: |
Ericales |
| Family: |
Primulaceae |
| Genus: |
Myrsine |
| Species: |
M. melanophloeos |
| Binomial name |
Myrsine melanophloeos
( L.) R.Br. ex Sweet (1818) |
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| Synonyms |
- Chrysophyllum millerianum Lam. (1794)
- Chrysophyllum melanophoeos (L.) Lam. (1794)
- Heeria melanophloeos (L.) Meisn. (1844)
- Manglilla melanophloeos (L.) Pers. (1805)
- Manglilla venulosa Roem. & Schult. (1819)
- Myrsine neurophylla Gilg. (1894)
- Myrsine pentandr (Aiton) R.Br. ex B.D.Jacks. (1894)
- Myrsine rhododendroides Gilg (1894)
- Myrsine runssorica Gilg (1895)
- Myrsine samara R.Br. ex Sweet (1818), nom. superfl.
- Myrsine simensis Hochst. ex A.DC. (1844)
- Myrsine ulugurensis (Mez) Gilg ex Prain (1908)
- Myrsine venulosa Spreng. (1824)
- Rapanea bequaertii De Wild. (1925)
- Rapanea gracilior Mildbr. (1934)
- Rapanea lamiaensis De Wild. (1925)
- Rapanea melanophloeos (L.) Mez (1902)
- Rapanea neurophylla (Gilg) Mez (1902)
- Rapanea pulchra Gilg & G.Schellenb. (1912)
- Rapanea rhododendroides (Gilg) Mez (1902)
- Rapanea runssorica (Gilg) Mez (1902)
- Rapanea schliebenii Mildbr. (1934)
- Rapanea simensis (Hochst. ex A.DC.) Mez (1902)
- Rapanea thomensis Exell (1944)
- Rapanea ulugurensis Mez (1902)
- Rapanea umbratilis S.Moore (1911)
- Rapanea usambarensis Gilg & G.Schellenb. (1912)
- Roemeria melanophloeos (L.) Thunb. (1798)
- Samara pentandra Aiton (1789)
- Scleroxylum venulosum Willd. (1809)
- Sideroxylon laurifolium Lam. (1783)
- Sideroxylon melanophloeos L. (1767)
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Myrsine melanophloeos, commonly known as Cape beech, Kaapse boekenhout (Afrikaans), isiCalabi (Zulu) or isiQwane sehlati (Xhosa) is a dense evergreen tree that is native to the afromontane forests of Africa, ranging from Nigeria and Sudan to South Africa. Outside forests they are also commonly encountered along stream banks and in gullies.
Despite its common name, it is not a close relative of the familiar beech tree of the northern hemisphere, and it is actually more closely related to the Rhododendrons; it comes from the beech-like grain of its wood. The Xhosa name isiQwane sehlati meaning "forest protea" comes from the tree's leaves bunching like a protea (isiQwane) flower.