Mickey Mouse Bush
Bird's Eye Bush
Ochna serrulata (?)
Photographed at Gede Ruins, Malindi, Kenya. January 2012.
This very showy specimen was observed on the grounds of Gede Ruins, Malindi. Two and a half meters tall with numerous flowers but no fruit. Leaves are shiny and sharply serrate along the margins. There are several species of Ochna native to this area, but this may be a transplant from South Africa. Ochna serrulata is widely planted as an ornamental.
The sepals remain attached after flowering and become bright red, and in some species fleshy. One to five fleshy drupes develop from each carpel, 1 to several per flower, and are eaten by frugivorous (fruit-eating) birds thereby dispersing the seeds.