ZYGOPHYLLACEAE
Only RV record is from between Jack's Causeway and the turnoff into Black Harrier. Outside of the estate, it occurs in habitats ranging from grassland and savanna to deciduous Acacia-wooded grassland and dwarf karroid shrubland.
Torchwood
Trees & ShrubsNo photos available
Local Context
Not very common in Raptor's View, but a a regular in the Lowveld. It occurs al the way north to Kenya in open woodland, forests, dry shrublands, near springs, and in pans.Identification
- Growth: Deciduous or semi-deciduous tree (up to 20 m tall, rarely a low shrub) with a spreading, rounded crown and a fluted trunk; branches feature prominent, stout, forked spines (1–6 cm long).
- Flowers: Small, scented, green to greenish-yellow (1.5–2 cm wide), arranged in small clusters of 3 to 7 flowers; petals are densely hairy on the inside.
- Leaves: Compound with two leaflets (2-foliolate); leaflets are asymmetric, egg-shaped to rounded (2.3–12 cm long), becoming thick and leathery.
- Texture: Young branches, leaf undersides, and flower stalks range from finely velvety to densely hairy; mature leaves become smoother above, and the ovary is covered in stiff white hairs.
- Fruit: Large, cylindrical to oval fruit (3.5–8 cm long) with five shallow length-wise grooves; it turns pale to reddish-brown when ripe, with a brittle outer shell, spongy interior, and a hard woody core.
Did You Know?
The Torchwood tree earns its name from its oil-rich seeds, which burn so brightly that they can be used directly as natural torches. Beyond providing light, the tree possesses remarkable biochemical properties: fishermen traditionally use its bark and fruits to temporarily stun fish for easy harvesting, while its fruit serves as a natural weapon against the Bilharzia parasite. Though safe for humans and animals to eat, the unripe fruit and bark release compounds into stagnant water that selectively kill the freshwater snails hosting the disease.