Boscia albitrunca

Shepherd tree
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Capparaceae
Genus: Boscia
Species:
B. albitrunca
Binomial name
Boscia albitrunca

Boscia albitrunca, commonly known as the shepherd tree or shepherd's tree (Afrikaans: Witgat, Sotho: Mohlôpi, Tswana: Motlôpi, Venda: Muvhombwe, Xhosa: Umgqomogqomo, Zulu: Umvithi), is a protected species of South African tree in the caper family.[1] It is known for having the deepest known root structure of any plant at: -68 metres (223 ft).[2]

The species epithet "albitrunca" refers to the white trunk it oftentimes develops. Traditionally, the shepherd tree was used by Dutch settlers, boers, to create a variant of coffee from the roots of the tree.[3] It is an evergreen tree native to southern and tropical Africa, living in the hot, dry, and often seasonally brackish low-lying areas, sometimes on abundant lime or occasionally on rocky terrain. It is a common tree of the Kalahari, bushveld and lowveld. It is one of the most important animal forage trees in the Kalahari.[4]

  1. ^ "Protected Trees" (PDF). Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Republic of South Africa. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-05.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Boscia albitrunca | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  4. ^ Havenga, C. J.; van Niekerk, W. A.; Rethman, N. F. G.; Coertze, R. J. (2004). "Certain qualitative characteristics of Boscia foetida at different sites in South Africa" (PDF). South African Journal of Animal Science (34): 62–64. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.