Noltea

Noltea
Detail of foliage of the Soap Bush
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Tribe: Phyliceae
Genus: Noltea
Rchb.
Species:
N. africana
Binomial name
Noltea africana
Synonyms
  • Hollia Heynh.
  • Willemetia Brongn., nom. illeg. homonym. post.
  • Vitmannia Wight & Arn., nom. illeg. homonym. post.
  • Ceanothus africanus L.
  • Ceanothus atropurpureus Raf.
  • Ceanothus elongatus Salisb.
  • Ceanothus lancifolius Moench
  • Ceanothus scandens D.Dietr.
  • Hollia africana Heynh.
  • Rhamnus africana Mill.
  • Willemetia africana (L.) Brongn.
  • Vitmannia africana (L.) Wight & Arn.

Noltea is a monotypic genus of flowering plants. The single species, Noltea africana (commonly known as the soap bush or soap dogwood), is a small, bushy tree of about 4 metres that is endemic to the southern Cape of South Africa, where it grows beside rivers and in pockets of afro-montane forest. It has small, white, mildly fragrant flowers and when it grows larger it assumes a willow shape, with slightly weeping branches. The leaves are long and serrated and the young growth is purple in colour.

The foliage of the "soap bush" can be used to produce a soapy lather for cleaning, and this tree also conveniently tends to grow near lakes and rivers.