Euclea, from the Greek eukleia meaning "glory and fame", denotes a group of flowering plants in the Ebenaceae or ebony family. They were described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1774. The genus includes evergreen trees and shrubs, native to Africa, the Comoro Islands and Arabia. Several species are used for timber, producing a hard, dark heartwood timber similar to ebony. Species There are some 16 to 18 species, including: Euclea acutifolia E.Mey. ex A.DC. – Cape Province Euclea angolensis Gürke – Angola Euclea asperrima E.Holzh. – Namibia Euclea balfourii Hiern ex Balf.f. Euclea coriacea A.DC. – Lesotho, South Africa Euclea crispa (Thunb.) Gürke – southern Africa Euclea dewinteri Retief – Limpopo Euclea divinorum Hiern – from Ethiopia to KwaZulu-Natal Euclea lancea Thunb. – Cape Province Euclea laurina Hiern ex Balf.f. Euclea natalensis A.DC. – from Somalia to KwaZulu-Natal Euclea neghellensis Cufod. – Ethiopia Euclea polyandra (L.f.) E.Mey. ex Hiern – Cape Province Euclea pseudebenus E.Mey. ex A.DC. – Angola, Namibia, Cape Province Euclea racemosa L. – from Egypt to Cape Province; Comoros, Oman, Yemen Euclea sekhukhuniensis Retief, S.J.Siebert & A.E.van Wyk – Mpumalanga Euclea tomentosa E.Mey. ex A.DC. – Cape Province Euclea undulata Thunb. – from Zimbabwe to KwaZulu-Natal References External links Ericales genera