Boscia albitrunca (Burch.) Gilg & Gilg-Ben.

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Photo: Rob Burrett
Mapungubwe Park, Limpopo Valley, South Africa.

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Synonyms:	Boscia transvaalensis Pestal.
Common names:	Shepherd's tree (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Small to medium-sized tree with a typically whitish bark and a rounded crown. Leaves mostly clustered on hard woody spurs along the branches, oblanceolate to elliptic, grey-green; veining almost invisible. Flowers axillary in dense branched clusters, small, without petals, greenish, sweetly scented. Fruit round, c. 10 mm in diameter, hairless, yellow when ripe.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	albitrunca: white-stemmed
Habitat:	In hot and dry open bushveld, often on termite mounds.
Flowering time:	Aug - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	Mozambique, Zambia and Namibia, south to South Africa
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia (Food plant) Colotis evenina evenina (Food plant) Colotis antevippe gavisa (Food plant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 146. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 9. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 224 - 225. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 92 - 93. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 237. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 77. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 31. Roodt, V. (1998). Trees and Shrubs of the Okavango Delta Shell Field Guide Series: Part I Shell Oil Botswana, Gaberone. Pages 28 - 30. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 43. Setshogo, M.P. & Venter, F. (2003). Trees of Botswana: names and distribution SABONET Report No. 18 Southern African Botanical Diversity Network, Pretoria Pages 6 - 7. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 202. Wild, H. (1960). Capparaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Pages 234 - 235.

Other sources of information about Boscia albitrunca:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Boscia albitrunca
Flora of Mozambique: Boscia albitrunca
Flora of Zambia: Boscia albitrunca
Flora of Zimbabwe: Boscia albitrunca

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Boscia albitrunca
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Boscia albitrunca
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Boscia albitrunca
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Boscia albitrunca
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Boscia albitrunca
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Boscia albitrunca
JSTOR Plant Science: Boscia albitrunca
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Boscia albitrunca
Plants of the World Online: Boscia albitrunca
Tropicos: Boscia albitrunca
Wikipedia: Boscia albitrunca