CELASTRACEAE

Gymnosporia senegalensis

Red Spikethorn

Trees & Shrubs

Local Context

Common evergreen shrub or tree, easy to find near the estate's drainage lines, dams and on termite mounds. Occurs across Africa and the Middle-East and even in Spain.

Identification

Growth: Shrub or small tree (usually 1–9 m tall) that can be either thornless or armed with straight spines (up to 5 cm long) along the branches.
Flowers: Small, scented, and white, greenish-white, or pale yellow (sometimes tinged with pink); arranged in small to large clusters of 3 to 60 or more flowers.
Leaves: Pale green to blue-grey, sometimes with a reddish midrib; variable in shape but usually oblong to oval (2–11.6 cm long) with finely and regularly toothed edges.
Texture: The entire plant is hairless; the leaves are thick and leathery; young branches are reddish-purple to brown and often covered in a powdery grey-blue bloom.
Fruit: Small, round or pear-shaped capsule (2–6 mm long) that turns pink to deep red when ripe; it has a smooth, leathery skin and contains 1–2 shiny, dark reddish-brown seeds partially covered by a fleshy pink or white layer.

Did You Know?

With over 118 recorded bioactive compounds like anti-cancer maytansine, this species is a "walking pharmacy" deeply rooted in traditional medicine to treat everything from malaria to snakebites. It serves as a vital food source for monkeys and rhinos, while its sweet flowers draw endless pollinators before falling to carpet the ground like streamers - earning it the name Confetti Spikethorn.

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