Boscia foetida
| Stink shepherd tree | |
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| Nominate subspecies in Namibia | |
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| B. f. subsp. rehmanniana in Limpopo | |
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| Species: | B. foetida
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| Binomial name | |
| Boscia foetida Schinz, 1888
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Boscia foetida, commonly known as the Stink shepherd tree, is a shrub or tree that is native to the warmer and drier parts southern Africa.[1] It is found in semi-desert and arid bushveld, and is known for the particularly unpleasant smell of its flowers which appear during early spring, to which its specific name foetida alludes. Its freshly cut wood likewise has an unpleasant smell, and has traditional medicinal and magical uses, for instance as a protection against lightning.[2] It is similar to the closely related B. albitrunca, which however differs from most subspecies by its discolorous and distinctly larger leaves, and its smooth fruit.
Description
The bark is smooth and pale grey to grey.[3] It has several or many stems in the west, but is often single-stemmed in the east. It has a flattish, spreading crown, and is densely branched with some branches ending in spines.[4]
The shortly petiolate[3] leaves are arranged in tight clusters on little knobs.[4] The small, hard leaves usually measure less than 8 mm in length,[4] but rarely up to 13 mm. They are grey-green in colour, concolorous in the west and discolorous in the east, and appear dark green from a distance.
The small, greenish flowers lack petals but have prominent stamens, and a gynophore which equals the ovary and style in length.[3] They are clustered in axillary racemes or may be reduced to axillary fascicles.[5] They emit a rancid odour,[1] after which the tree is named.
It produces abundant, yellowish globose fruit in summer. They have a velvet-textured exterior, as apposed to those of B. albitrunca, which are smooth. They are about 1 cm in diameter[3] and are eaten by birds and people.[2] The fruit usually contains a single brown seed.[5]
Range
It occurs in Namibia up to the Kunene region, the Northern Cape, central Botswana to southern Zimbabwe and the Transvaal bushveld and lowveld, eastern Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal southwards to the Tugela valley, and in southernmost Mozambique.
Habitat
It occurs in semi-desert or arid bushveld, where it may be found on sand dunes, hills, rocky outcrops, or on termite mounds.[3][4]
Subspecies
There are five subspecies:
- Boscia foetida subsp. filipes (Gilg) M.C.Lötter – Sandveld shepherd tree
- Range: northern Limpopo, northern KZN, eastern Swaziland and southern Mozambique
- Description: Up to 4 m tall shrub with greyish to yellowish-green bark, leaves 1.2–3.4 cm, somewhat shiny above and dull below, alternate or in fascicles of up to 4, petiole 1–2 mm long, flowers with 6–8 stamens and pedicels up to 7 mm[5]
- Boscia foetida subsp. foetida Schinz – Stink shephard tree
- Range: Namibia to Northern Cape, South Africa
- Description: Branches from ground level, leaves very small and concolorous, flowers with 11-15 stamens[3]
- Boscia foetida subsp. longipedicellata (Gilg) Toelken – Tugela shepherd tree
- Boscia foetida subsp. minima (Gilg) M.C.Lötter – Dwarf shepherd tree
- Range: South Africa. North West province, northern Gauteng, western Limpopo, Tshokwane region of Kruger National Park.
- Description: Small shrublet
- Boscia foetida subsp. rehmanniana (Pestal.) Toelken – Bushveld shepherd tree
- Range: Transvaal bushveld, incl. northern Mpumalanga, to central Botswana. Absent from lowveld.
- Description: Single-stemmed up to 1 m, leaves up to 1.3 cm, flowers with 5-7 stamens[3]
Gallery
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foliage -
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Pilanesberg
References
- ^ a b Hyde, Mark; et al. "Boscia foetida Schinz subsp. rehmanniana (Pestal.) Toelken". Flora of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
{{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|first1=(help) - ^ a b Pooley, E. (1993). The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei. Natal Flora Trust. pp. 102–103. ISBN 0-620-17697-0.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h Palgrave, K.C. (1984). Trees of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik. p. 187. ISBN 0-86977-081-0.
- ^ a b c d Palmer, Eve (1977). A Field Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa. London, Johannesburg: Collins. p. 120. ISBN 0-620-05468-9.
- ^ a b c Wild, H. (1960). Boscia filipes Gilg [family CAPPARIDACEAE] Flora Zambesiaca (Kew), Vol 1, Part 1. p. 194. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help)
External links
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Boscia foetida". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.