Published by WML Consulting Engineers

Production: Andri Marais Design & Layout: OpenOrigin

Maps: Tree Atlas of Namibia Scientific editing: Coleen Mannheimer

Photographs & copyright in photographs: Coleen Mannheimer, Wessel Swanepoel & Andri Marais

Content of this booklet was principally obtained from Mannheimer, C.A. & Curtis, B.A. (eds) 2009. Le Roux and Muller’s Field Guide to the Tree and Shrubs of Namibia. INSIDE

1 Acacia nigrescens 31 Commiphora wildii 2 Acacia erioloba 32 Cyphostemma bainesii 3 Acanthosicyos horridus 33 4 Adansonia digitata 34 5 Adenia pechuelii 35 Cyphostemma uter 6 Adenium boehmianum 36 Dialium engleranum 7 Afzelia quanzensis 37 Diospyros mespiliformis 8 Albizia anthemintica 38 Elephantorrhiza rangei 9 Aloe dichotoma 39 Entandrophragma spicatum 10 Aloe pillansii 40 Erythrina decora 11 Aloe ramosissima 41 Euclea asperrima 12 Baikiaea plurijuga 42 Euclea pseudebenus 13 Berchemia discolor 43 Faidherbia albida 14 Boscia albitrunca 44 Ficus burkei 15 Burkea africana 45 Ficus cordata 16 Caesalpinia merxmuellerana 46 Ficus sycomorus 17 Citropsis daweana 47 Guibourtia coleosperma 18 Colophospermum mopane 48 Hyphaene petersiana 19 Combretum imberbe 49 Kirkia dewinteri 20 Commiphora capensis 50 Lannea discolor 21 Commiphora cervifolia 51 Maerua schinzii 22 Commiphora dinteri 52 Moringa ovalifolia 23 Commiphora gariepensis 53 Neoluederitzia sericeocarpa 24 Commiphora giessii 54 Ozoroa concolor 25 Commiphora gracilifrondosa 55 Ozoroa namaquensis 26 Commiphora kraeuseliana 56 Pachypodium lealii 27 Commiphora namaensis 57 Pachypodium namaquanum 28 Commiphora oblanceolata 58 Pappea capensis 29 Commiphora saxicola 59 Philenoptera violacea 30 Commiphora virgata 60 Protea gaguedi 61 Pterocarpus angolensis 62 Salix mucronata 63 Schinziophyton rautanenii 64 Schotia afra var. angustifolia 65 Sclerocarya birrea 66 Searsia lancea 67 Sesamothamnus benguellensis 68 Sesamothamnus guerichii 69 Sesamothamnus leistneri 70 Spirostachys africana 71 Strygnos potatorum 72 Sterculia africana 73 Sterculia quinqueloba 74 Strychnos cocculoides 75 Strychnos pungens 76 Strychnos spinosa 77 Tamarix usneoides 78 Tylecodon paniculatus 79 Welwitschia mirabilis 80 Ziziphus mucronata

Acacia nigrescens knob-thorn, mungandu, knoppiesdorn, ghughandutji, mukotokoto

Identification: Value: Single-stemmed, erect, deciduous tree up to 20 m.

oo Bark yellowish grey, longitudinally fissured, often with thorns raised on large knobs. The leaves are browsed by game. oo Thorns paired, strongly curved, black, hair The wood is used in construction, to less, bases well separated. make utensils, as fuelwood, to make oo Leaves bipinnately compound, spirally rope, and for tanning. It also retains arranged, leaflets large, dark and stabilizes riverbanks. green to grey-green above, pale green below, sparsely downy. oo Fruit an oblong, straight, flattened, leathery, brittle pod; splitting open when mature.

1 Acacia erioloba camel-thorn, kameeldoring, omuthiya, omumbonde, kameel- dornbaum, ||ganab

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous or deciduous tree, up to 20m high.

oo Bark dark grey, rough, vertical fissures. oo Thornes sharp, straight, paired at nodes, The flowers, shoots and pods are grey-white. eaten by livestock and game. Pods oo Leaves bipinnately compound, spirally are very nutritious, consisting of arranged, leaflets dull olive-green, smooth. almost 14% protein, but contain oo Flowers golden-yellow. Inflorescence a sufficient prussic acid to cause stock round head on a stalk. losses. The wood has many uses – oo Fruit a woody pod, ear-shaped with short, in building houses, as firewood, for grey down. smoking meat, to make axe-handles and in the construction of fences. In Kavango, it is used to make pestles for grinding ‘Mahangu’. The bark is used in the firing of clay pots. Resin is edible when fresh and is used as a remedy for stomach ache. Seeds can be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee beans.

2 Acanthosicyos horridus nara, !nara, botterpitte, omungaraha

Identification: Value: Much-branched, spreading shrub, arching branches

oo Bark grey, longitudinally fissured, inner Second only to the welwitschia, the bark bright yellow. young branchlets grey- nara is one of the most characteristic green, with paired straight thorns. of the Namib Desert. The soft oo Leaves absent. growing tips are eaten by ostrich and oo Flowers yellow-green, bell-shaped, small mammals eat the seed once separate male & female plants. the fruit has broken open. The fruit oo Fruit a melon, covered in hard, thick, is eaten by game such as springbok spine-like protruberances. and rhino. The fruit is also suitable for human consumption - raw, cooked or dried. The seeds taste similar to almonds, are very nutritious, and can be eaten raw or roasted.

3 Adansonia digitata baobab, kremetartboom, omukwa, lemonade tree, affenbrot- baum, divuyu, #’òm

Identification: Value: Up to 20 m high, characteristically massive trunk.

oo Bark smooth, pinkish-brown to grey- Leaves provide excellent fodder brown, often convoluted. for cattle. Young leaves and twigs oo Leaves of young trees simple, older trees are boiled to make soup. The hard 5-7-palmately compound. shell of the fruit is used as a water oo Flowers pure white, hanging on long container or snuff-box. The flesh stalks, 5 crinkled, waxy petals curl back, of the fruit contains tartaric acid, numerous stamens fuse to form a column. Vitamin C and sugar and is eaten oo Fruit olive green, velvety covering. directly by sucking or cooked with porridge and other dishes. Fermented fruit flesh is used as a raising-agent in bread-baking. Seed is eaten raw or roasted and ground and used as a coffee-substitute. The white root of germinating seeds is eaten like asparagus. Tubers borne at root tips are dried, crushed and made into porridge. Bark fibres are used as rope and sap from bark as thirst-quencher. Ash from burned wood can be used as a substitute for salt.

4 Adenia pechuelii elephants-foot, wüstenkohlrabi

Identification: Value: Unusual squat with large, swollen, tuber-like smooth grey-green stem up to 1 m or more in height and diameter. Unique, somewhat grotesque plant oo Branches numerous, short, thick, rigid, endemic to rocky outcrops of the blue-green, grooved, tapering to a point. Namib Desert. oo Leaves few, simple, often absent, leathery, blue-green. oo Flowers small, cup-shaped, male and female on separate plants oo Fruit a round, three-lobed capsule, red when ripe.

5 Adenium boehmianum bushman poison, ouzuwo

Identification: Value: Deciduous, few-stemmed shrub, succulent trunk.

oo Bark Smooth, grey-brown. oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged or The Bushman poison contains terminally clustered, elliptic, slightly a milky sap that is used by the longitudinally folded, dark green San people as an arrow poison. It above, paler below flowers abundantly for almost six with prominent veins. months of the year and is becoming oo Flowers tubular, pink with darker throat; increasingly popular in gardens. It is corolla lobes whorled. unfortunately being unsustainably oo Fruit paired, dry cylindrical capsules; seeds harvested for the horticultural trade. with a tuft of silky hairs at each end.

6 Afzelia quanzensis pod mahogany, mwanda, schoten-mahogani

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous to deciduous, spreading crown.

oo Trunk up to 1.6 m in diameter. oo Bark purplish-grey to pale brown, smooth The leaves and flowers of the pod or reticulate, flaking in thick, round discs. mahogany are browsed by game and oo Leaves paripinnate, alternate, leaflets the seeds are eaten by rodents and opposite, hairless, glossy with prominent various bird . Seeds are strung veins, dark green above, lighter below. into necklaces and sold as curios. A oo Flowers with single, conspicuous, orange- root extract is used to treat various red petal; sweetly scented. ailments such as influenza, bilharzia oo Fruit thick, woody, flattened, black pod. and eye diseases. The bark is used Splits open into 2 valves. Black seeds with to treat toothache. Although slow- red, cup shaped basal aril. growing and frost sensitive, it is an attractive ornamental tree.

7 Albizia anthelmintica worm-cure albizia, aru, wurmrindenbaum, oumaboom

Identification: Value: Leaflets similar to Black-thorn Acacia/Swarthaak, but more asymmetric, with a pointed tip. Also similar growth forms but albizia has no thorns. Bark has anthelminthic properties and is boiled to produce a watery oo Bark grey to red-brown. Branchlets with infusion that is used to treat parasitic spine-tipped lateral shoots. worm infections in humans and oo Leaves bipinnately compound, paripinnate, horses. Various parts of the plant are spirally arranged. used to treat upset stomachs. Young oo Flowers pale yellow, stamens branchlets are used to clean teeth. conspicuously long, anytime of the year. Wood is durable and used to make oo Fruit a papery, flattened pod, swollen knife-sheaths and plates. above each seed. Splits open.

8 Aloe dichotoma quiver tree, kokerboom, kokerbaum,

Identification: Value: Distinctive tree aloe. Single stemmed, stout. Stem branches repeatedly and dichotomously to form a dense crown. The Afrikaans and English common oo Bark yellow, rough, peeling in segments. names originate from the use of oo Leaves simple, thick, succulent, in terminal hollowed-out stems as arrow quivers rosettes, boat shaped. by early San people. oo Inflorescence a branched spray carried above leave rosette. oo Flowers yellow, tubular. oo Fruit a capsule, 30 mm long.

9 Aloe pillansii giant quiver-tree

Identification: Value: Slender, erect, sparsely branched in upper stem. oo Bark yellow, rough, fragmenting into pieces with smooth portions in-between. Upper branches relatively smooth, yellow The giant quiver-tree is regarded as grey. critically endangered as it is severely oo Leaves in terminal rosettes, droop with threatened by habitat loss, illegal age, bases encircle stem. collecting and livestock grazing. It is oo Inflorescence a much-branched spray, an extremely slow growing species, hanging below leaf rosette. and is difficult to cultivate. Although oo Flowers yellow, tubular. the seeds germinate easily, this oo Fruit a capsule. species has not been successfully grown in gardens.

10 Aloe ramosissima maiden’s quiver-tree, boskokerboom

Identification: Value: Densely branched. Stems normally very short.

oo Bark smooth, brown. oo Leaves simple, in terminal rosettes, Often confused with A. dichotoma. brownish-green. The two species can also hybridise. oo Inflorescence an erect, branched spray. Regarded as vulnerable, its habitat oo Flowers bright yellow, tubular. is threatened by mining and oo Fruit a capsule. overgrazing by livestock.

11 Baikiaea plurijuga zambezi teak, rhodesian teak, uhahe, omupapa, ghukuthi, omuzumba

Identification: Value: Deciduous tree with dense, spreading crown.

oo Bark grey to dark brown, flakes off in longitudinal strips. Excellent wood that is durable, oo Leaves paripinnate, alternate, leaflets hard, heavy and resistant to both opposite, leathery, downy rotting and insect attacks. It is used oo Flowers conspicuous, pink to mauve, in construction of houses, as fuel, petals crinkly. to manufacture sledges, ploughs, oo Fruit a flattened, woody, densely woolly canoes, sleepers, parquet flooring, pod, splits open loudly when ripe, shooting mine props, furniture and dishes. seeds, valves then twist into spirals. Thinner branches are used as whip handles for trapping game. Bark is used in various remedies. Whole or crushed bark is boiled in water until it turns red, cooled and taken to treat colds. Crushed bark boiled in salt water is used to treat measles (as a drink or a poultice). Resin extrusions are used to treat rabies. Pods are crushed and mixed with tabacco to make a smoking mixture and a snuff. Wood infusions are used to tan leather. Cattle and goats eat the bark.

12 Berchemia discolor bird-plum, omuve, wilde dadel, mukerete, wilde dattel, urehaib

Identification: Value: Deciduous or semi-deciduous tree, rounded crown. oo Bark grey, fissured, rough oo Leaves simple, opposite, veins prominent, The sweet and tasty fruit of the occasionally downy. bird-plum are eaten by people and oo Flowers small, green-yellow, inflorescence animals, making it a highly valued an axillary cluster. tree. Ripe fruit is used for distillation oo Fruit an ovoid-oblong berry, fleshy, yellow and dried when available in surplus. when ripe. The leaves are eaten by game or livestock. Flowers produce copious amounts of pollen, making this species worth cultivating for honey production. The bird-plum also has several medicinal uses and the hard wood is excellent for constructing furniture and huts. It is also used to make handles, knives and knopkieries and pipes carved from wood are used as bellows by blacksmiths.

13 Boscia albitrunca shepherd’s tree, witgat, omutendereti, omunkunzi

Identification: Value: Evergreen shrub or tree. oo Bark pale in colour, almost white. oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, solitary or in clusters. The shepherd’s tree has many uses, oo Flowers small, green-yellow, inflorescence making it an important component a cluster. of the vegetation wherever it occurs. oo Fruit spherical, yellow when ripe. Seeds Livestock and game browse the with brittle, cream coloured highly nutritious leaves. Donkeys warty shell, embedded in orange flesh. and porcupines like the bark, which can result in ring-barking and eventually trees dying. Tough, white, fine-grained wood is used to make household utensils. Roasted roots are used as a substitute for coffee. Raw roots can be chewed to quench thirst. Roots boiled in water produce a sweet syrup. Fresh ripe fruit is edible, although slimy. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are made from the fruit flesh. Leaves are crushed to use as snuff for colds.

14 Burkea africana burkea, omutundungu, sandsering

Identification: Value: Deciduous tree with rounded to flattened crown.

oo Bark grey, rough, longitudinally grooved, crumbly. Leaves are browsed by eland. Bark is oo Leaves bipinnately compound, spirally stripped and used to carry manketti arranged, densely clustered at nuts. Resin and larvae found on tree growth points. Prominent midrib. are edible. Although wood is easily Silky, silver covering. sawn and processed and used to oo Flowers small, cream to white, sessile. make floor tiles, furniture, sleepers, Inflorescence a hanging spike, peduncle mine props, poles and various small woolly. articles, trees are often hollow. These oo Fruit a flattened, thin pod, pale brown, hollows usually fills up with sand hanging in clusters. which blunts saws. The sapwood tends to become infested with wood-border. Stumps are used as stools and also made into pestles for grinding mahangu. It makes excellent firewood and good charcoal. The tree is difficult to cultivate, with poor seed germination.

15 Caesalpinia merxmuellerana orange-river caesalpinia

Photos by Wessel Swanepoel

Identification: Value: Shrub, 1-2 m high. The Orange-river caesalpinia is endemic to southern Namibia where oo Bark grey to grey-brown with longitudinal it has a very restricted range. and transverse fissures. oo Thorns straight or curved, shiny, with downy covering. oo Leaves bipinnate, alternate to spirally arranged, leaflets grey-green with dark, glandular dots and short, downy hairs oo Flowers dark red, spur occasionally with sulphur-yellow markings. oo Fruit a stalked pod, crooked pear shaped, flat, slightly curved, with beak-like tip, attached to persistent style, red to brown, glandular.

16 Citropsis daweana wild citrus, nzani, mukiki, |óro, mudòve, ndendeghoma

Identification: Value: Many stemmed shrub or small tree up to 6 m high.

oo Bark grey, young branchlets with dense, woolly covering. This species is closely related to the oo Thorns solitary, axillary, rigid, slender and cultivated citrus species. Crushed green. leaves emit a characteristic citrus oo Leaves imparipinnate, alternate, citrus- fragrance. Although small, the fruits like scent when crushed; rachis winged, are edible and delicious. bearing 2-4 pairs of olive-green leaflets with fine grey hairs and translucent glands. oo Flowers white to pale yellow. oo Fruit a spherical berry with rough skin, red- brown when ripe, edible.

17 Colophospermum mopane mopane, mopanie, mupane, omusati

Identification: Value: Deciduous to semi-deciduous shrub or tree.

oo Bark grey to brown, very rough with deep longitudinal grooves. The mopane is an important browsing oo Leaves bifoliolate, single broadly species for both livestock and game. In sickle-shaped leaflet pair. drought conditions, a sugary substance oo Flowers small, yellow to white-green with secreted by plant lice is found on the stamens hanging out. leaves, giving them a higher nutritional oo Fruit is a flattened, kidney-shaped pod, value than usual. The leaves have leathery, pale brown. various medicinal uses. The bark is used for tanning and to produce rope. The wood has a fine texture and can be used for building walls and roofs and to make utensils. Mopane wood is heavily used in hut construction, kraals and as firewood. It coppices easily, and can thus be harvested for timber without killing the plant. The species is of spiritual significance to the Herero and the Himba people. The larvae of Imbrasia belina (the mopane worm), which feeds on the leaves, are a delicacy among the local people. The seeds are harvested and steam distilled to extract an essential oil. The challenge is to develop a market.

18 Combretum imberbe leadwood, omumborombonga, hardekool, Ahnenbaum, munyondo, omukuku, |haab

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous tree, up to 20 m high.

oo Bark pale to dark grey, rough, deeply fissured vertically and transversely The leaves of the leadwood are dividing bark into small fragments. browsed by livestock and game. The oo Leaves simple, successive pairs at right wood is hard, heavy, durable and angles to each other. termite-resistant. It is sought after oo Flowers yellow to cream, sweet-scented. in the woodcarving industry and is oo Fruit 4-winged, ovate, yellow-green, also used as building material and for densely covered in scales. fencing and mine-props. It makes excellent firewood and produces copious amounts of ash, which is used in some areas to white-wash houses. The ash can also be used as toothpaste when mixed into a paste with water. Glowing coals are used in irons. Smoke from burning leaves is inhaled to treat colds and coughs. Traditionally regarded by the Herero peope as having mystical properties; poles are planted in graves during burial ceremonies known as ‘okuhujambera’.

19 Commiphora capensis namaqua corkwood, namaqua-balsamstrauch

Identification: Value: Deciduous, thick-stemmed with fat base, branching into stout branches. When touched, young shoots exude an aromatic resin. The leaves of the Namaqua oo Bark whitish to dark grey, occasionally with corkwood are eaten by game and the black specks. fruit by birds. The species is illegally oo Leaves trifoliate, spirally arranged, leaflets harvested for the horticultural trade. almost heart-shaped, dark green, margin scalloped. oo Flowers small, yellow-green, unisexual. oo Fruit ovoid to round, pseudaril absent.

20 Commiphora cervifolia antler-leaved corkwood, spoegboom, takbokblaar-kanniedood

Identification: Value: Deciduous, thick-stemmed with fat base, branch- ing into stout branches. When touched, young shoots exude an aromatic resin, moistening the stems. The fruit of the antler-leaved corkwood is eaten by game and oo Bark smooth, yellow-brown to red-brown smaller livestock. The species to grey, with dark specks. is illegally harvested for the oo Leaves trifoliate, spirally arranged or horticultural trade. clustered, leaflets irregularly lobed (antler- like), sometimes 3-lobed. oo Flowers small, yellow, unisexual. oo Fruit ellipsoid, pseudaril absent.

21 Commiphora dinteri namib corkwood, omundomba, omumbunga

Identification: Value: Deciduous shrub with swollen, prostrate stem.

oo Bark white-grey to grey-brown to yellow- green, smooth to wrinkled with dark Endemic to Namibia. The fruit of the specks. Namib corkwood is eaten by birds. oo Leaves trifoliate with some simple leaves, The species is illegally harvested for spirally arranged at end of branches, the horticultural trade. leaflets sessile, olive-green, margin serrate oo Flowers small, red, unisexual. oo Fruit ovoid, pseudaril red, with two arms and two shorter lobes.

22 Commiphora gariepensis orange river corkwood

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Deciduous shrub branching into thick stems with The Orange River corkwood was succulent appearance. only described relatively recently. The species is endemic to the Orange River Valley in both Namibia and South Africa. oo Bark greenish-brown, greenish-grey or pale grey with small, dark spots. oo Leaves trifoliate with some simple leaves, spirally arranged at end of branches, leaflets sessile, olive-green, margin serrate oo Flowers small, red, unisexual. oo Fruit ovoid, pseudaril red, with two arms and two shorter lobes.

23 Commiphora giessii brown-stemmed corkwood, red-stemmed corkwood, aoab, omuhatji

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Deciduous, many-stemmed shrub with lax, lanky, The brown-stemmed corkwood has slender branches. a very restricted range. It is endemic to the mountain slopes, hillsides oo Bark smooth, shiny, red-brown to black, and valleys of the north-west, from usually not flaking. Sesfontein northwards. oo Leaves trifoliate, spirally arranged on dwarf shoots, leaflets pale green, hairless, midrib prominent below, margin entire. oo Flowers small, reddish or green to cream- coloured, unisexual. oo Fruit ellipsoid to round, red pseudaril, 4 lobes that envelop seed.

24 Commiphora gracilifrondosa karee corkwood, suikerkan, kareekanniedood

Identification: Value: Deciduous, thick, swollen stem branching low down. oo Bark yellow-brown to grey with dark spots; does not flake. The leaves and young branchlets of oo Leaves trifoliate, spirally arranged; leaflets the Karee kanniedood are browsed linear, dark green; terminal leaflet often by goats and game. The wood has irregularly lobed. a sweet taste. The species has a oo Flowers small, yellow-green, occasionally restricted range. solitary, unisexual. oo Fruit a slightly flattened to almost round berry, pseudaril 2-lobed

25 Commiphora kraeuseliana feather-leafed corkwood, omumbungu, |anab, eu

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Deciduous shrub with short, swollen stem branching repeatedly. oo Bark grey-brown to yellowish, peeling off The feather-leaved corkwood in papery strips at base. Young branchlets has the largest fruit of all the plum-coloured with dull, waxy coating; Commiphora species. The seeds emits an unpleasant odour when broken. are edible. The species is illegally oo Leaves imparipinnately compound, spirally harvested for the horticultural trade. arranged or terminally clustered on dwarf shoots, leaflets dark green, thread-like. oo Flowers small, yellow, unisexual. oo Fruit a somewhat flattened to almost round berry, pseudaril absent.

26 Commiphora namaensis nama corkwood

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Deciduous, thick, swollen stem, branching near ground into slender branches. oo Bark pale to dark grey, not flaking. oo Leaves simple, occasionally trifoliate, The range of the Nama corkwood spirally arranged or clustered on is limited to southern Namibia and dwarf shoots, leaf circular to oblong, olive- just south of the Orange River. The green, margin species is illegally harvested for the scalloped to serrate. horticultural trade. oo Flowers small, cream-coloured to yellow, unisexual. oo Fruit a round to ellipsoid berry, pseudaril orange to red, with two arms and two short lobes.

27 Commiphora oblanceolate swakopmund corkwood

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Deciduous, many-stemmed, densely branched shrub, generally with swollen base. oo Bark pale to dark grey, smooth, not flaking. oo Leaves trifoliate, spirally arranged The Swakopmund corkwood is or clustered on dwarf shoots; leaflets endemic to western Namibia, with sessile, oblanceolata, hairless, small, widely scattered populations green; margin finely dentate. occurring from near Swakopmund to oo Flowers small, green-yellow, unisexual; the Kunene River. penduncle short or long. oo Fruit an almost spherical berry; pseudaril with two arms and one short facial lobe.

28 Commiphora saxicola rock corkwood, omumdomba, ||gai, felsenmyrrhe

Identification: Value: Deciduous, low-growing shrub with short, swollen stem, generally with swollen base. oo Bark smooth, grey, finely speckled, not flaking; young branchlets red. Emits sharp, The rock corkwood is endemic to sweet scent when broken. Namibia where it is confined to the oo Leaves imparipinnately compound, spirally rocky hill slopes and gravel plains of arranged or clustered on dwarf shoots, the Namib Desert and escarpment. leaflets dark- to yellow-green, often folded The fruit is edible and the stem is upwards towards midrib, with dull, chewed as a thirst-quencher by the waxy coating above, veins prominent Topnaar people. A leaf extract of below, margin scalloped to dentate. the species is reported to contain oo Flowers small, cream-coloured to pale promising anti-tumour properties. green. oo Fruit an ovoid berry; pseudaril orange, cuplike.

29 Commiphora virgata slender corkwood, twiggy commiphora, omumbara, rutenförmiger-balsamstrauch, soba, |anas

Identification: Value: Deciduous, much-branched shrub branching near ground. oo Bark yellow-white to silvery, peeling off Common and endemic to the rocky in papery strips; branchlets slender and hillsides of the central Namib Desert often drooping. and western Kaokoveld in Namibia oo Leaves trifoliate, spirally arranged or and Angola. Leaves are browsed by clustered on rough, thickened, grey-white livestock. The species is home to an dwarf shoots; leaflets dark-green to green- edible caterpillar (Usta wallengrenii). yellow. oo Flowers small, green to yellowish; unisexual. oo Fruit a red, ovoid berry; pseudaril white to pink, 4-lobed with lobes almost covering seed.

30 Commiphora wildii oak-leaved corkwood, omumbiri, herare, oshiziwowo

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Deciduous shrub with thick, swollen stem The Oak-leaved corkwood is an branching near ground. attractive shrub growing on rocky oo Bark smooth, grey-grown; young outcrops or in mountainous areas. branchlets with long, grey hairs. The resin exuded by the species is oo Leaves imparipinnately compound, resem the preferred perfume of the Himba bling oak-leaves, spirally arranged women, who mix the resin with or clustered on dwarf shoots, leaflets sea- butterfat and ochre. green, downy, veins prominent, margin entire. oo Flowers pale yellow. oo Fruit an ovoid to round berry; orange to pink’; pseudaril yellow to orange, 4-lobed with lobes covering a quarter of the seed.

31 Cyphostemma bainesii gouty vine, baines’ kobas

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Dwarf shrub, very swollen stem, up to 0.5 m high.

oo Bark smooth, light orange, peeling in An attractive succulent. Although the cream-coloured, papery strips. berries look delicious, they contain oo Leaves thick, succulent, trifoliate, alternate oxalic acid crystals that can cause or clustered, bright-green to blue-green, irritation to the mucous membranes often with red margin. of the mouth. oo Flowers a spreading spray of small, yellow green flowers. oo Fruit a red, ovoid berry.

32 Cyphostemma currorii kobas, butterbaum, omutindi

Identification: Value: Deciduous tree with succulent stem, up to 5 m high and 1 m in diameter. oo Bark smooth, cream to yellow to red- brown, shiny, hairless, peeling in papery In north-western Namibia the strips to reveal pinkish-green underbark. bark of the kobas is used to carry oo Laves succulent, trifoliate, alternate or honeycombs, while the sap of the clustered, pale to dark, bright seed is used to treat skin disorders. green, initially downy, becoming hairless. The fruit of the plant is regarded as oo Flowers a spreading panicle with small, toxic due to the presence of oxalic yellow-green to yellow flowers. acid crystals. oo Fruit a red, ovoid berry.

33 Cyphostemma juttae blue kobas, botterboom

Identification: Value: Deciduous shrub with thick, often cone-like, swollen stem, up to 2 m high.

o o Bark pale cream, smooth, peeling in thin, This attractive plant is easily grown papery pieces to expose green underbark. from seed. The fruit is not edible. oo Leaves succulent, simple when young, becoming trifoliate, alternate or clustered, petiole winged in mature leaves, blue- green, hairless. oo Flowers small, greenish-cream; on thick stalk armed with prickles. oo Fruit a round to ovoid berries, red to purplish-black when ripe.

34 Cyphostemma uter kaoko kobas, kowas

Identification: Value: Deciduous shrub with succulant stem, much- branched, up to 1.5 m high.

oo Bark white to yellow, smooth, horizontally The bark is used to carry grooved, hairless, flakiing off in papery honeycombs. The plant is regarded strips. as toxic due to the presence of oxalic oo Leaves succulent, 5-palmate, alternate or acid crystals which cause severe clustered, finely woolly, glandular. irritation to the mucous membranes oo Flowers a dense spray of yellow-green, of the mouth. downy flowers with stalked glands and fine covering. oo Fruit a red, ovoid berry.

35

Dialium engleranum kalahari podberry, usimba, djau, ghuthimba, omuthimba

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Deciduous tree up to 13 m high.

oo Bark smooth to rough, pale to dark grey, grooved to form irregular fragments, The edible fruit of the Kalahari peeling off to expose a dark podberry constitute an important brown underbark. part of the diet of the San and the oo Leaves imparipinnately compound, Kavango people. It is usually eaten alternate, leaflets leathery, dark with mealie-meal. In the central- green above, shiny, hairless, pale north, the dried seeds are also green below, matt, downy, cooked and eaten. Different parts veins prominent, apex teat-like. of the plants are used for various oo Flowers small, creamy-white; sepals medicinal purposes: Leaves are used with olive-green to golden-brown, velvety to treat colds; crushed wood is used hairs on outside. as a disinfectant; an infusion of the oo Fruit an velvety, dark brown, ovoid pod. bark is used as an eyewash; and Not splitting open. shredded, boiled roots are used as a remedy for dysentery. The wood is used for timber and to make implements.

36 Diospyros mespiliformis jackal-berry, african ebony, jakkalsbessie, schakalsbeerenbaum, omwandi, omunyandi, ghutunda

Identification: Value: Tall, upright, almost evergreen with dark foliage turning yellow before falling. Up to 16 m high, occasionally higher. The fruit of this imposing tree is oo Bark black to grey, rough, transversely edible, fresh or dried and is also used fissured, crumbly. to produce an alcoholic beverage. oo Leaves simple, alternate, leathery, Extracts of various parts of the shiny, dark green above, sparsely plants are believed to have antibiotic downy, pale green below, veins prominent. properties. The wood is used to oo Flowers cream-coloured and bell-shaped. produce household utensils and Female flowers are solitary and male watos and as fuelwood. Different flowers are arranged in stalked bunches. insects such as wasps and bees play oo Fruit a fleshy, almost spherical berry, with a role in pollinating the flowers. an enlarged calyx, yellow to purple when Seeds are distributed through wash- ripe. off by rain or in animal droppings. Termites often build their nests around the trees and feed on the roots. In return the tree benefits from moisture and aeration as a result of termites borrowing in the soil under the tree. Snakes like to reside close to or around the tree as they prey on the rodents and certain bird species feeding on the fruit.

37 Elephantorrhiza rangei karas elephant-foot

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification:

Only known from the type specimen from Naute Dam near Keetmanshoop and not collected since 1908.

38 Entandrophragma spicatum owambo wooden-banana, omataku

Photos by Wessel Swanepoel

Identification: Value: Deciduous tree with spreading crown.

oo Bark grey, rough, peels off in large pieces, underbark yellow. The red-brown wood is used by the oo Leaves paripinnate, terminally clustered, Owambo people to make buckets. leaflets sparsely downy. Seeds are considered poisonous oo Flowers small, green. and are thus not eaten. They are, oo Fruit a woody, cylindrical capsule, splits however, crushed and boiled, and into 5 recurving valves. the oil suspended on the water surface is collected and used for cosmetic purposes. In the north- west of Namibia wood splinters are woven into the hair-pieces of married men. Thin stems are cut and frayed so that the fibrous ends can be used as toothbrushes.

39

Erythrina decora namib coral-tree, suidweskoraalboom, omuninga, korallenbaum, omuni

Photos by Wessel Swanepoel

Identification: Value: Deciduous tree or shrub, 4 – 10 m high.

oo Bark grey, corky, smooth, occasionally deeply grooved. The Ovahimba people use the seeds oo Leaves trifoliate, spirally arranged, terminal of the Namib coral-tree to decorate leaflet rhombic, downy above, woolly their gemsbok-horn trumpets with below, underside of midrib with thorns. which they keep herds together oo Flowers red, young buds with grey, finely during nomadic migrations. An woolly covering. alkaloid that prevents blood from oo Fruit a woody, grey-brown pod, bead-like clotting has been extracted from the appearance. seeds. Although frost-sensitive, of definite horticultural potential due to the attractive flowers, fruit and seed.

40 Euclea asperrima mountain guerri, bergghwarrie

Photos by Wessel Swanepoel

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous shrub, 1-2 m high. Endemic species restricted to the Naukluft, Tsaris and a few other oo Bark grey, smooth, branchlets sturdy, mountain ranges. It has a very young branchlets red-brown. disjunct distribution and is seldom oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, leathery, seen. pale green, hairless above with red, glandular hairs below, prominent mibrib, margin undulate. oo Flowers small, yellow-white. oo Fruit a downy berry.

41 Euclea pseudebenus wild ebony, cape ebony, abikwa, ebbehout, ebenholzbaum, omuthema, tsàbì.s

Photos by Wessel Swanepoel

Identification: Value: Characteristically thin, drooping branches.

oo Bark grey to black, rough, deeply fissured with oblong fragments. Euclea pseudebenus is highly sought oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, drooping, after for its good quality fire wood. linear, leathery. The wood is also used for carving, oo Flowers small, whitish to yellow-green, inlay-work, lathing and construction, waxy-looking, urn-shaped. but pieces are usually small. Small oo Fruit a spherical berry, red-brown to black; twigs are used as toothbrushes, short, sparse covering. while branchlets are used to stir porridge. The fruit is edible when ripe, although not very palatable. The wild ebony is not popular in horticulture, although its value as a small drought hardy tree cannot be over emphasized. This species would make excellent garden trees, as they would grow quicker in cultivation. They would be ideal as replacements for exotic trees which are still too common in our gardens. It grows quickly, is frost-resistant, evergreen and attractive.

42 Faidherbia albida ana tree, anaboom, anabaum, omue, anas, winter thorn

Identification: Value: Large deciduous or semi-deciduous tree.

oo Bark cream to yellow to grey-brown, The Ana tree has an extensive root smooth to scaly. system that can stabilize eroded oo Leaves bipinnately compound, spirally soils. Pods are browsed by elephants, arranged, leaflets sessile, grey-green antelope, livestock and baboons. It is and downy. an important food source in times of oo Thorns straight, paired at nodes, tips drought. The wood is soft and dries orange to pale-brown. and works well, but are not termite oo Flowers pale yellow. resistant. It is used in the south to oo Fruit a spirally contorted to sickle-shaped construct hut frames and large, pod, orange to red-brown. hollow trunks are used as drinking troughs. The outer parts of the pods are fit for human consumption. The seeds are eaten by local people during food shortages after a lengthy preparation. The pods can be dried and ground into flour, which is edible. A decoction of the bark is used as a remedy for diarrhoea, bleeding and inflamed eyes. The green bark is used by the Nama people to dye skins.

43 Ficus burkei (Ficus thonningii) strangler fig, wildevy, mutata

Identification: Value: Evergreen or semi-deciduous, single stemmed tree.

oo Bark white to dark grey, crumbly. Birds, bats, monkeys, baboons, Branchlets red, downy covering. bushpig, warthog and antelope oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, hairless. such as bushbuck, nyala, duiker oo Figs solitary or paired. Green, but reddish and klipspringer feed on the ripe when ripe, densely downy. figs facilitating seed dispersal. The characteristic white latex of the strangler fig is used as birdlime in north-central Namibia. It is gathered and sun-dried, then kneaded until sticky and smeared unto tree branches to snare birds. The fruit is edible, raw or dried, and is distilled to produce an alcoholic beverage. The bark is used to make rope.

44 Ficus cordata namaqua rock-fig, haartvy, herzfeige

Identification: Value: Tree 8 – 12 m high.

oo Bark pale grey to biscuit coloured, smooth, older branches sparsely downy with yellow Birds and livestock eat the leaves and hairs, young branchlets yellow with white the fruit, which is usually insect- hair. infested. In north-western Namibia, oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, heart- the bark is used to tan leather. shaped blade, hairless. oo Figs sessile, arranged in groups at end of branches, yellow-green.

45 Ficus sycomorus sycamore fig, cluster fig, omukuyu

Identification: Value: Striking semi-deciduous tree with spreading crown.

oo Bark yellow with variations of brown and The leaves of the sycamore fig are greys, flaking off. readily browsed by goats and are oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, stiff, an important food source for all rough, leathery, initially covered in silver livestock in overgrazed areas where hairs which becomeflattened, veins it occurs. Leaves and fruit are fed to prominent. oo Figs borne in dense clusters, green, dairy cows to stimulate milk-flow. becoming yellow with red vertical streaks Fallen fruits are eaten by antelope, and white, downy covering. wild pig and guineafowl. The larval stages of a variety of insects feed on the leaves or figs, including caterpillars of butterflies and moths. Other insect larvae bore into the branches, feed on the wood or figs. The characteristic white latex is non-toxic and can be used to soothe inflammation. The bark is used medicinally to treat ailments ranging from diarrhoea to diphtheria. Ripe fruit can be eaten raw, dried and ground or roasted and used as a substitute for coffee.

46 Guibourtia coleosperma false mopana, ushivi, ghushi, muzauli, omusii

Identification: Value: Evergreen, spreading crown, drooping branches.

oo Bark red- to yellow-brown, smooth with dark patches on old trunks. The seeds of the false mopane are oo Leaves bifoliate, alternate, leathery, shiny crushed, boiled and used to tan above with dull, waxy coating, distinct leather. They are also cooked and midrib and net-veining, dull eaten. The fruit is easily removed below, hairless. from the seed by soaking it in warm oo Flowers star-shaped, white, petals flexed water. The arils are used to make back, stamens prominent. soup. The seed oil can be used as a oo Fruit an oval pod, brown, thickly woody, stain for furniture. The seed is also splitting open on one side to reveal solitary eaten by birds. The crushed seed, seed on yellow stalk, covered by red aril. in the form of a paste, has cosmetic properties. The bark is used to treat skin ailments and wound healing. It is pounded and then applied as a paste to the affected area. The wood is used to make sleepers, floor tiles, plywood, spoons, knife-sheaths, canoes and as construction timber. It could be used for furniture, but is quite heavy.

47

Hyphaene petersiana makalani palm, omulunga

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Usually single-stemmed, but occasionally many stemmed palm tree, up to 10 m high.

oo Stem often slightly swollen in the middle The Makalani palm is extensively or upper section. utilized (for utensils, basketry, oo Leaves fan-shaped, terminally clustered, thatching, ropes, palm wine and grey-green. food). Commercialization of the oo Inflorescence up to 1 m long, male basket industry has resulted in some and female flowers on separate plants. over-utilization of this species. Male inflorescence smaller and more branched than female. oo Fruit a spherical brown nut. Seeds single, with a very hard ivory-coloured layer known as ‘vegetable ivory’.

48 Kirkia dewinteri kaoko kirkia, kaokosering, kaokoseringe

Photos by Wessel Swanepoel

Identification: Value: Deciduous tree, 3-9 m high. Relatively rare, endemic to a small area in the Kaokoveld.

oo Bark yellow with scattered, small, black dots; older branches slender and erect; young branchlets yellow-brown, sparsely downy. oo Leaves imparipinnate, spirally arranged, leaflets subsessile, grey-green, hairless above, prominent midrib below. oo Flowers small, white, inflorescence a laxly- branched spray. oo Fruit a small, hard capsule, splitting into 8 valves when ripe.

49 Lannea discolor live-long, dikbas, omundjimane, kleine marula.

Photos by Wessel Swanepoel

Identification: Value: Deciduous tree, up to 12 m high.

oo Bark grey, rough, cracked, crumbly, red underbark. Live-long is generally used as oo Leaves imparipinnately compound, spirally traditional medicine to treat fevers arranged, terminally clustered, leaflets dark and constipation in children. The green to dark red-brown, hairless fruit, although bland, is eaten by but woolly along veins, yellow-brown humans, animals and birds. Young with grey, woolly covering below. bark is used to make rope. The oo Fruit an edible, ovoid, fleshy berry, reddish soft, light wood is used to make to deep purple if ripe. pounding blocks, fences, dishes and

spoons. Fencing poles made out of the wood will easily take root and flourish again, which has earned it its common name Live long.

50 Maerua schinzii ringwood tree, lammerdrol, ringholzbaum, omutengu, goradab

Identification: Value: Evergreen. 3-7 m high. oo Bark smooth, white to reddish-brown, one side of trunk often charcoal coloured (as The tree is browsed by livestock. Fruit if burned), while other side is light grey to can be ground to a pulp and mixed pink. with water to make a refreshing oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, light to drink. The plant is of spiritual dark green above, dull green with significance to the Kwanyama spares hairs below, leathery, prominent people and of medicinal use to the midrib. Otjiherero people. oo Flowers yellow, petals absent, sepals green, stamens numerous. oo Fruit bean-like, cylindrical, green to yellow, bead-like appearance.

51 Moringa ovalifolia phantom tree, sprokiesboom, omutindi

Identification: Value: Deciduous. Thick trunk and feathery-looking canopy. oo Bark smooth, grey to brown, resinous. Branchlets with leaf scars. The roots have a slightly acidic taste oo Leaves clustered, unevenly compound, and are utilised by herdsman in bipinnate. Leaflets shiny, dark isolated areas during food short- green above, sparsely downy, dull below, ages. The wood is light and spongy. veins prominent. The somewhat succulent bark is oo Flowers white, numerous, inflorescence an readily eaten by game. The beautiful axillary spray. phantom tree is a good choice for oo Fruit a light grey-brown pendulous pod, gardens, as lawn will grow right up to triangular in cross-section, splitting into 3 the base of the tree. sections. Seeds triangular with membranous wings.

52 Neoluederitzia sericeocarpa silk-seed bush

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous shrub, up to 3.5 m.

oo Bark grey to yellow, downy. oo Thorns axillary, straight; some remain Recorded only from Seeheim and dormant while others develop into lateral further south on the Fish River. The branches. leaves and flowers of the silk-seed oo Leaves imparipinnately compound, bush are browsed by goats. alternate, leaflets grey-green, silky, midrib prominent below, margin fringed with hairs. oo Flowers solitary or clustered, axillary, yellow. oo Fruit a capsule, with dense, coarse, stiff yellow-brown hairs.

53 Ozoroa concolor green resin-bush

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous to deciduous, with copious, The beautiful, drought resistant strong-smelling resin. Green resin-bush makes a beautiful garden tree in arid areas. oo Bark grey, fissured; young branchlets reddish-grey with black leaf scars. oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, in terminal clusters, glossy, dark green, hairless, margin undulate and sparsely fringed with hairs. oo Flowers small, waxy, cream-coloured; male and female flowers on separate plants. oo Fruit a kidney-shaped drupe with a thin, fleshy wall; black when ripe.

54 Ozoroa namaquensis gariep resin-tree

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Multi-stemmed shrub, up to 1.5 m. The Gariep resin-tree occur only in the arid mountains in the extreme oo Bark light-brown, becomes grey with age. southern part of the country. Young twigs red brown. oo Leaves small, simple, spirally arranged, shiny, leathery, linear-lanceolate, lighter below than above. oo Flowers Small, greenish-cream, fragrant. Male and female flowers on separate plants. oo Fruit round to kidney-shaped, crinkled, black when ripe.

55 Pachypodium lealii bottle tree, bottelboom, ohwanga, dickfuss

Identification: Value: Distinctive, succulent, bottle shaped tree.

oo Bark smooth, pinkish-grey to pale brown, with darker markings. The bottle tree contains a glucoside, oo Spines on branches, in clusters of three. pachypodin, which has a similar Not present on main trunk. effect to digitalis. It is sometimes oo Leaves clustered in axils of spines, downy, used as a component of arrow undulating margin. poison. The watery latex present is oo Fruit paired cylindrical, dry capsules, brown used as an arrow poison. Sap from when ripe, splitting open. Seeds are dark the soft, central tissue is used to brown with a tuft of silky hairs on one end. dress infected wounds of humans and animals. It is also applied to lanced abscesses and used as an ear- drop. It is difficult to cultivate, with poor seed germination.

56 Pachypodium namaquanum elephant-trunk, halfmens, gonneb, sanni, halbmensch

Identification: Value: Succulent, mostly unbranched.

oo Trunk dark grey, cylindrical, thickened at base, with watery protuberances These unique plants with their spiny bearing straight thorns, bend towards the stems and bend heads are both north. fascinating and highly sought after by oo Spines straight, in clusters of 3, pale brown plant collectors. As a result of illegal with paler base. collecting, overexploitation and even oo Leaves sessile, dense white bristly smuggling, the species is severely covering, margin clearly undulate. threatened. Ironically, these plants oo Flowers solitary, corolla tube downy, lobes seldom survive outside their natural short, yellow-green outside, red-brown habitat except in climate-controlled inside. hothouses. oo Fruit paired cylindrical dry capsules with soft, grey hairs, splitting open. Seeds brown, long, with a tuft of long, silky hairs at one end.

57 Pappea capensis jacket-plum, kouboom, wildepruim, hülsenbeere

Identification: Value: Evergreen to semi-deciduous, spreading tree.

oo Bark grey, smooth, sometimes vertically fissured/ flaking off in irregular fragments, The leaves of the jacket-plum are young branchlets have long, red-brown readily browsed by game and domestic hairs. livestock. The tasty fruit is eaten by oo Leaves spirally arranged or terminally various frugivorous birds and animals clustered, leathery, dull green, veins hairy, which in turn distribute the seeds margin markedly wavy and conspicuously in their droppings. It is suitable for spiny-dentate on young leaves. Petiole human consumption and is used the with rust-brown, densely woolly covering. preparation of jellies, preserves alcoholic oo Flowers small, unisexual, green to cream. drinks and vinegar. The jacket plum Inflorescence an axillary catkin-like is larval food to the catterpillars of spray. Male and female flowers on separate several butterfly species and the sweetly plants. scented flowers attract a wide variety of oo Fruit an almost round capsule, green, hard, insects. The seeds contain an fragrant furry, splitting open when ripe, 1-seeded. oil which apparently has an effect similar Seeds shiny, black, covered by red jelly-like to that of castor oil. It is golden-yellow, aril. thick and in a permanently viscous state. it can be used as a hair tonic or lubricant, to treat various ailments or to make soap. It is also seen as a high- quality bio-oil. The nutritious seedcake by-product of the biodiesel production is a high-protein animal feed.

58 Philenoptera violacea (Lonchocarpus capassa) apple leaf, rain tree, northern omupanda, uvhunguvhungu, apfelblatt

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous tree, up to 15 m high.

oo Bark pale grey, relatively smooth, occasionally crumbly and flaky. The apple leaf is an excellent fodder oo Leaves imperipinnately compound, spirally tree that is browsed by livestock arranged, petiole bearing one large, and game. During food shortages terminal leaflet and 1-2 smaller Owambo people chop off the lateral leaflets. branches and feed the leaves to their oo Fruit a flattened, hanging pod, tapering cattle. The wood of the apple leaf is both ends, downy, veins conspicuous, hard, realitively heavy and dries well. constricted between seeds, not Although it saws well, the sawdust splitting open. tends to cling to the saw, causing overheating. The wood is used for carvings, tool handles, poles, watos (dug-out canoes) and also as fuel. The smoke from smouldering fruits is inhaled as a cold-cure. Plants can easily be grown from seed, which must be soaked in hot water overnight.

59 Protea gaguedi african white protea, muririra

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Evergreen, may-stemmed small shrub or gnarled tree. oo Bark grey-brown, grooved and flaky, with long, soft yellowish hair. oo Leaves sessile, spirally arranged, leathery, Although widespread in Africa, the pale green, veins prominent. African white protea is very rare, oo Flowers white or pale pink, densely downy. if not already extinct in Namibia. oo Fruit a hairy nutlet. Overharvesting of roots for medicinal purposes has caused the demise of the species.

60 Pterocarpus angolensis african teak, kiaat, mukwa, dolfhout, ghughuva, omuhuva, mulombwe

Identification: Value: Conspicuous, deciduous tree with spreading crown. oo Bark grey to brown-grey, deep grooves This graceful tree is much valued forming oblong fragments. across Africa. The leaves of the African oo Leaves imperipinnately compound, teak have various medicinal purposes, alternate, one terminal peaflet and 6-9 including treatment for ringworm, alternate to almost opposite leaflet pairs; stabbing pains, eye problems, malaria, long soft hairs. blackwater fever, stomach problems oo Flowers orange-yellow. and the increase in supply of breast oo Fruit a spherical pod with bristly hairs, milk. Owambo people apply the sap encircled by a papery wing. or a paste made from the bark on burns. In Kavango the Mbukushu people dry the bark, which contains a red pigment, crush it and mix it with fat, then the woman rub this mixture into their hair to colour it red. It is also believed to have magical properties for the curing of problems concerning blood. The beautiful timber is easy to work and is used for furniture, implements, curios, watos (dug-out canoes), panels and building material. Baskets are woven from the inner bark and the Barakweno-San use it to make dishes, spoons, buckets and musical 61 instriments. Salix mucronata subsp. Mucronata (Salix subserrata) wild willow, safsaf willow

Identification: Value: Shrub or tree up to 4 m high.

oo Bark brown, deep, longitudinal fissures; young branchlets woolly. This willow has a soft, light wood and oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged; bright its branchlets are lax and ideal for green above, midvein prominent; pale grey weaving baskets. The roots are used and covered with scales below; petiole to treat headaches and fevers. The reddish. seed only remains viable for a very oo Flowers male and female on separate short period of time. plants; female flowers cup-like, yellow- green, male flowers numerous stamens, yellow, downy. oo Fruit a two-valved dehiscent capsule, releasing a woolly seed.

62 Schinziophyton rautanenii (Ricinodendron rautanenii) manketti, ugongo, omunkete, mankettibaum, olfruchtbaum

Identification: Value: Large, beautiful, deciduous tree; spreading crown.

oo Bark smooth, yellow to green-grey; round, The flesh around the hard seed can be flat pieces peeling off to expose yellowish eaten raw or cooked. The hard shell of underbark. the seed can also be cracked open and oo Leaves 5-7-palmately compound, the inner kernel consumed. It contains alternate, petiole 2 prominent a nutritious, bright yellow oil and has a green glands at tip, pinnae dark very pleasant taste. Elephants and kudu green above with dense, rust- enjoy the fruit. The oily solution obtained brown hairs, pale yellow-green below with by crushing the seed and boiling it in fine, woolly covering. water can be used on skins to keep them oo Flowers yellow. soft during tanning. Crushed seed forms oo Fruit a smooth ovoid drupe, nut-like, an oily paste that is used cosmetically 1-seeded, flesh mealy. in the north-west. The wood of the Manketti saws easily and dries well, but is not insect resistant and is also not suitable for lath-work. It is too soft and light for furniture manufacture. The wood is used by local people to make drums, sticks for stirring porridge, and bows and arrows. Due to the ecological value and rarity of the species, it should however NOT be felled. Rainwater collects in hollow trunks of this species and can be utilised by humans and 63 animals.

Schotia afra var. angustifolia karoo schotia, boerboon, karoo-buren- bohne

Identification: Value: Deciduous, much-branched shrub with gnarled trunk

oo Bark grey, rough, young branchlets plum- The leaves of the Karoo schotia are red, hairless to downy. browsed by livestock as well as game. oo Leaves peripinnatey compound, alternate, Birds and insects are attracted to the leaflets dull green above, paler below, bright flowers, which produce nectar margins fringed with hairs. in such copious amounts that the oo Flowers red. surrounding grass is often sticky. The oo Fruit a oblong-linear, somewhat sickle- seeds have been eaten by humans shaped, flattened, woody pod, margins since early times. They can be eaten thickened, splitting along lateral green or cooked, peeled, roasted walls when ripe. and pounded into a meal. The bark, if ground and soaked in water, can be used as tannin. The red-brown wood is relatively hard and durable, and was used in the early days for yokes. Today it is only known to be used as fuel. It is a valuable shade tree, providing a dense, cool shade. It can be cultivated in areas with hot summers and cold winters. Although the tree is very slow-growing, it is worth planting for its showy, red flowers and striking pods.

64 Sclerocarya birrea marula, maroela, omungongo

Identification: Value: Large, attractive, deciduous; dense, spreading crown.

oo Bark initially yellowish, becoming grey, The marula is one of the best known trees covered with irregular, flat, grey in Namibia due to its numerous uses. Every scales; conspicuous leaf scars on part of the tree is utilised for an incredible young branchlets. variety of domestic needs and it thus plays an oo Leaves imparipinnately compound, important role in the lives of rural Namibians. spirally arranged or terminally The fruit is edible and sought after by clustered; long petiole, terminal humans and animals alike. It is an effective petiole cylindrical, grooved above, thirst-quencher and is rich in vitamin C. The often with grey scales , leaflets dark green, fruit is eaten fresh or is used to brew a beer. with a dull, waxy coating. A marula liqueur is available commercially. oo Flowers male and female on separate Jelly and jam can be made from the ripe trees, female raceme larger than fruit. The fruit kernel has a pleasant, nutty male. Unisexual, sepals red, petals pale taste when roasted. It is rich in oil, which is yellow, male flowers numerous, female extracted and traditionally used for cooking, flowers 2-3 at twig ends, occasionally as a meat preservative and for skin care and solitary. hair applications. The leaves of the marula oo Fruit a spherical tough-skinned drupe, pale are browsed by livestock and game. The creamy-yellow. bark has several medicinal uses. The wood is used to manufacture household utensils. In Kavango and Caprivi the stems are used for making watos. Recently marula oil has been found to have excellent cosmetic qualities , and a limited amount is exported to cosmetic 65 companies every year. Searsia lancea (Rhus lancea) karee, afrikanische rivierweide, !areb

Identification: Value: Spreading crown with slightly drooping branches.

oo Bark dark grey, rough, deeply fissured to The Karee is probably the best known form fragments that flake off, exposing Searsia species in Namibia. The fruit pale brown to reddish underbark. is edible with a plesant, but sour oo Leaves trifoliate, spirally arranged; leaflets taste. It is eaten after it turns yellow, sessile, straight to sickle shaped. but before it dries. The tree is seldom oo Flowers small, greenish to green-yellow. browsed because of the tannins oo Fruit a sub-spherical drupe, dull grey to produced by the leaves. The wood shiny brown. 1-seeded. dries well, but occasionally develops cracks in the heartwood. The timber is hard and cross-fibred with a fine to very fine grain, although it often has defects like knots and heartwood rotting. Nevertheless, it processess easily and polishes well. The wood makes excellent fencing posts. The Karee is said to indicate the presence of underground water. It is drought- and frost-resistent, is relatively fast-growing and tolerates a variety of soils. Unfortunately this tree is susceptible to aphid attack when planted in gardens. 66 Sesamothamnus benguellensis kaoko sesame-bush

Identification: Value: Deciduous, many-stemmed, rigid shrub with succulent trunk. oo Bark yellow-brown to creamy-grey. The Kaoko sesame-bush is has oo Thorns three per node, pale brown, middle a slow growth rate. The species one thicker, slightly curved or straight; lateral is illegally harvested for the thorns shorter, slender, often absent. horticultural trade. oo Leaves spirally arranged or clustered on lateral shoots, dark green, hairless, often recurved, base narrowly tapering. oo Flowers in leaf axils near end of branches, white, tinged with pink or light purple; corolla tube slightly curved; spur at base of flower. oo Fruit an oblong, bivalve, woody capsule. Seeds flattened with two broad wings.

67 Sesamothamnus guerichii herero sesame-bush, ongumbati

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Dense, rigid, erect shrub with succulent trunk.

oo Bark yellow-brown to creamy-grey. oo Thorns three per node, pale brown, slightly The Herero sesame-bush is an curved or straight. attractive plant, but it has a slow oo Leaves spirally arranged or clustered on growth rate. The species is illegally dwarf shoots, dark grey-green with white, harvested for the horticultural trade. woolly covering. oo Flowers in leaf axils, yellow, with curved corolla tube (almost S-shaped), swollen at base. oo Fruit a flattened, obovoid, bivalve, woody capsule. Seeds flattened and winged.

68 Sesamothamnus leistneri large-leaved sesame-tree

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Deciduous, stems swollen, often fluted at the base. oo Thorns in threes at nodes, central spine either or slender and slightly curved or short and Restricted to north-west Namibia, robust with lateral ones absent. the large leaved sesame-tree is a oo Bark smooth, creamy-yellow, sometimes slow growing species that is illegally peeling in papery strips. harvested for the horticultural trade. oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged or clustered on dwarf lateral shoots, broadly obovate, sparsely hairy, midrib prominent below. oo Flowers white with very narrow corolla tube. oo Fruit a dry, obovate, woody capsule with pointed tip, splitting open.

69 Spirostachys afrikana tamboti, tambotie, tambuti, omuhongo, ohongo, adlerholz

Identification: Value: Erect tree with spreading crown; secretes milky latex.

oo Erect tree with spreading crown; secretes milky latex. The Tamboti is known for its beautiful oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged, dull, dark wood, the toxicity of the various parts green above, pale green below, midrib of the tree, and its jumping seeds. prominent, margin crenate; turn The motion of the seeds is due to the reddish in autumn. activities of a moth larva that parasitizes oo Flowers male and female on same plant. them. The wood is hard, oily and saws Males small, many, borne terminally in relatively easily. The timber dries well, spike; 3 female flowers with short pedicels, although slowly, occasionally developing borne basally in spike. surface cracks. The sapwood must oo Fruit a 3-lobed, yellow-brown capsule, be treated with a solution of benzine 3-seeded. hexachloride (BHC) before stacking. The heartwood is durable, but trees occuring in wet areas undergo heartwood-rotting. The beautiful wood is used for lathe- work. It drills and sands well, but clogs the sandpaper due to the oiliness of the wood. It is used to build huts and fences and to make walking-sticks, but it is not suitable as firewood because the smoke irritates the eyes, and smoke inhalation leaves a bitter aftertaste in the mouth and causes headaches and nausea.

70 Sterculia africana african star-chestnut, sterculia, omuhako, bosluisboom, mbungubungu, khoe-hanu

Identification: Value: Conspicuous, fairly thick-stemmed, deciduous tree with spreading crown and soft, brittle branches.

oo Bark white to yellow to red-brown to The bark fibres can be used to make purple, peeling off in papery strips ropes and hats, An infusion of the bark or woody discs to reveal green underbark. is taken post-natally to relieve cramps, oo Leaves simple, spirally arranged or and can also be used to treat stomach clustered at branch ends, dark-olive green, problems. The seeds can be roasted heart-shaped with 3-5 lobes, densely and eaten, but care must be taken to hairy, 7 veined. avoid the irritating hairs on the fruit oo Flowers cup-shaped, yellow-green with red capsule. stripes, unisexual. oo Fruit a densely hairy, woody capsule, clusters of 3-5, splitting open to form a broad, boat shaped receptacle. Mouth fringed with irritating bristles. Blue-grey seeds with white to orange aril.

71 Sterculia quinqueloba large leaved sterculia, grootblaarsterkastaing, mukosa, khaugamme.b

Identification: Value: Erect, deciduous tree with thick trunk.

oo Bark smooth, creamy-white to pale brown, peeling off in thin, flat strips to expose a The wood is used locally for light silver-white to pale brown-pink underbark. construction, furniture, pulpwood oo Leaves spirally arranged or terminally and also for fuel and making clustered; 3-5 lobed, pale green charcoal. Seeds can be roasted above, pale to rust-coloured and eaten whole like peanuts, below, woolly, midrib prominent with rust- or pounded and cooked with brown hairs, tips pointed, base heart vegetables. The bark, leaves and shaped, 5-veined. roots are used for various medicinal oo Flowers yellow. purposes. The trees are tapped for oo Fruit 5 separate dry capsules, splitting their gum, which, together with the along one seam to form a narrow, gum of other Sterculia species, is boat-shaped receptacle, covered in short, used as a thickener, emulsifier and golden hairs. laxative. The high tannin content, oo Seeds black however, limits its usefulness in foods and pharmaceuticals. The bark is used to make floor mats and yields fibres that are used to make ropes, mats and sacks. It is an attractive ornamental tree and provides shade.

72 Strychnos cocculoides corky monkey orange, suurklapper, eguni

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Neat, evergreen to semi-deciduous, compact canopy. oo Bark grey to brown, thickly corky, deeply vertically grooved to expose a pale brown The fruit of the corky monkey- underbark. orange is edible and has a long oo Spines curved in pairs at nodes and straight storage life, even when ripe. It is at end of branches. rapidly becoming an important cash oo Leaves simple, opposite, with successive pairs crop as far afield as Windhoek and at right angles, shiny and sparsely downy Swakopmund. An alcholic drink is above, with 5-7 characteristically pale green, distilled from fermented fruit. The protruding veins, paler and sparsely downy seeds are toxic, containing strychine. below. The wood is strong and suitable oo Flowers small, green-white; inflorescence a for crafting implement handles. dense, terminal cluster. The shell is used to store cosmetic oo Fruit a round berry, dark green with light ochre-clay. specks, turning yellow when ripe with a hard, woody shell. Seeds flattened, white.

73 Srychnos potatorum black bitterberry, mulombelombe

Photos by Coleen Mannheimer

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous to deciduous tree, spreading crown. oo Bark silver-grey to yellow-brown, smooth, The species is an important but rougher with age. component of river and flood plains oo Leaves simple, opposite, often clustered vegetation. The fruit of the Black at branch tips; papery; shiny, dark green bitterberry is eaten by birds and above; paler and matt below, distinctly 3-5 baboons. The bark and roots are veined from base. used to poison fish. oo Flowers small, greenish-white. oo Fruit a round, fleshy berry, shell soft, smooth, black when ripe.

74 Strychnos pungens spine-leaved monkey orange, (gh)utu, steekblaar(klapper)

Identification: Value: Evergreen to semi-deciduous with compact canopy. oo Bark thick, pale grey, corky, vertically and transversely grooved to form oblong Green fruit cause nausea, vomiting, fragments, pale green underbark. headaches and light-headedness. oo Thorns lacking. The yellow pulp of the ripe fruit oo Leaves opposite with sucessive pairs at contains citric acid and is edible, right angles, folded at midrib, leathery, but not very tasty. The shell is used rigid, dark green, shiny, as a cup and a cosmetic container. prominent veins with pungent The seeds contain strychnine and tip. are thus toxic, causing diarrhoea oo Flowers green-white. when eaten in large quantities. The fresh bark of the roots is boiled in water and taken as a treatment for dysentery by the Mbukushu people in Kavango. It is very bitter. In the north-west the roots are crushed, mixed with water and used as a remedy for bone diseases.

75 Strychnos spinosa spiny monkey orange, doringklapper, uguni, ghughumi

Identification: Value: Semi-deciduous tree, up to 9 m high.

oo Bark grey to brown, thinly corky, flaking in square fragments, leaving smooth, white The sweet, pleasant-tasting fruit flesh marks. of the spiny monkey-orange cantains oo Thorns paired at nodes; curved or straight, citric acid and is very refreshing. An straight at branch-ends. alcoholic drink is distilled from the oo Leaves almost circular, leathery, wavy, dark fermented pulp. Although the seeds green, shiny above, 2-4 conspicuous contain no alkaloids or strychine, lateral veins, paler below. they are toxic, and will cause nausea oo Flowers cream-coloured to green. if ingested. The roots, green fruit and oo Fruit a spherical berry with woody shell, leaves are used medicinally. The off- green, becoming yellow-brown when ripe, white and straight grained wood can occasionally speckled, many seeds. can be used to make furniture.

76 Tamarix usneoides wild tamarisk, abiekwasgeelhout, omungwati, daweb

Identification: Value: Much-branched shrub or tree, up to 5 m high.

oo Bark brown-grey to pale-brown, flaking off in oblong strips. The presence of the wild tamarisk oo Leaves small, scale-like, sessile, closely is usually an indicatior or a high, overlapping, grey-green. saline water table. The leaves excrete oo Flowers very small, pink-white, male and excess salt, which often clings in a female on separate plants. film around the leaves. As soon as oo Fruit a three-valved capsule with small it becomes hot, the fluit evaporates seeds. leaving a cover of powdery salt which protects the leaves from excessive evaporation. Despite the salty taste of the leaves they are sometimes browsed by cattle and game. The wood is used as digging sticks and for bow-making. It is also used as fuel-wood, emitting an aromatic scent when burned.

77 Tylecodon paniculatus southern botterboom, butterbaum

Identification: Value: Deciduous, succulent, dwarf tree with thick, squat trunk and short, thick branches.

oo Bark smooth, olive-green to yellow-green, The southern botterboom is peeling in thin, papery strips. a popular garden plant. It is oo Leaves scattered or spirally arranged, unfortunately unsustainably succulent, shrivelling, drying harvested for the horticultural trade. before they fall, leaving a conspicuous scar. oo Flowers reddish tube with yellowish to red-brown lobes.

78 Welwitschia mirabilis welwitschia, kharos, khurub, nyanka, onyanga

Identification: Value: Short, stocky, up to 2 m high and 4 m in diameter.

oo Stem flattened on top, initially saucer- shaped but becoming hollow Biologically unique, this species is and V-shaped as it ages and fragments. of great economic importance as a oo Bark grey to grey-black, rough, knobbly tourist attraction. Although found and deeply fissured. almost exclusively in the Namib Desert, oo Leaves two simple, opposite, long, thick, clumped and localised communities of leathery strips that splits, creating the welwitschia also occur in the Khorixas impression that the plant has more than 2 area and in southern Angola. The leaves leaves. are browsed by donkeys, goats, horses oo Flowers male and female cones on and game such as rhino, elephant, separate plants; female cones zebra and oryx, especially in times of green-yellow with red-brown stripes; male severe drought. Most often they chew cones smaller, brown. the leaves, spitting out the fibres. These plants provide an important source of shelter for birds, small reptiles and insects. A winged bug, thought by some scientists to be Probergrothius angolensis and by others to be P. sexpuntatis , is often found in various developmental stages on. W. mirabilis. Damara people eat the core of fresh female cones, raw or roasted, after good rains.

79 Ziziphus mucronata buffalo thorn, blinkblaar-wag-‘n-bietjie, omukekete, omukaru omusheshete

Identification: Value: Semi-evergreen tree with spreading canopy.

oo Bark rough, grey, vertically fissured forming elongated fragments. The buffalo thorn plays an important oo Thorns one pair per node, one straight and ecological role. The leaves and one curved thorn. fruit are sought after by domestic oo Leaves simple, alternate, glossy green, stock; game such as eland, giraffe often with hair-like tip. and impala, as well as many bird oo Flowers small, green to yellow; borne in species. The fruit is edible, but not dense clusters in leaf axils. very palatable (it has a bitter, acidic oo Fruit a spherical drupe with thin, dry flesh, taste). It is used to make porridge red-brown when ripe. and an alcoholic beverage is made from fermented fruit. Bark and leaf infusions are used to treat respiratory ailments, fever, diarrhoea and measles. It is also applied externally as medication for open sores, boils and other skin problems.

80 Value Icons Index:

Edible fruit or leaves or bark Can be used as firewood

Has medicinal uses Wood used in furniture making

Browsed by ostrich Eaten by birds

Sap used as arrow poison/ stem Used to make a beverage used as arrow quivers

Mixed with tobbaco to make smokable mixture/snuff Used to make thatching

Worth cultivating for honey production because of pollen making abilities.

Bark Consumed by Donkeys

Fibrous ends can be used as toothbrushes

Home to the caterpillar

Not suitable for human consumption

Browsed by game

Browsed by livestock

Harvested for horticultural trade

Used to build huts

Browsed by goats REFERENCES:

Indigenous plant products in Namibia. 2014. Venture Publications, Windhoek, Namibia. Mannheimer, C.A. & Curtis, B.A. (eds) 2009. Le Roux and Muller’s Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Namibia. Windhoek: Macmillan Education Namibia. MCA Namibia compact – volume 4: Thematic Analysis Report – INPS Protected plant species. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry Forest Act, 2001 (act no. 12 of 2001). Section 22/regulation 13. http://www.plantzafrica.com http://www.biodiversity.org.na www.southernafricanplants.net http://www.en.hortipedia.com http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw http://www.wikiwand.com http://www.plantbook.co.za https://commons.wikimedia.org https://ceb.wikipedia.org