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Leucosidea sericea, commonly known as oldwood, is an evergreen tree or large shrub that grows in the highland regions of southern Africa. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus Leucosidea. The name oldwood may reflect the fact that the wood burns slowly, as if old and rotting; the gnarled, twisted trunks reinforce this impression.
Leucosidea sericea can be found above an elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) in the highlands of South Africa (in the Eastern Cape, western KwaZulu-Natal, eastern Free State, the North West Province, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo), as well as in Lesotho and, rarely, in Eswatini and Zimbabwe. It forms dense thickets in disturbed areas, contributing to woody plant encroachment on farmlands. Its presence is an indication of overgrazing or poor veld management.
Apparently in mountainous areas where oldwood occurs near streams it is an indication that they are suitable for being stocked with trout. Zulu people use a paste made from the crushed leaves of L. sericea for treating ophthalmia (an eye ailment).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Leucosidea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
