Boscia foetida

Stink shepherd's tree
Nominate subspecies in Namibia and
B. f. subsp. rehmanniana in Limpopo
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Capparaceae
Genus: Boscia
Species:
B. foetida
Binomial name
Boscia foetida
Schinz, 1888

Boscia foetida, commonly known as the stink shepherd's tree and the smelly shepherd's bush,[1] is an evergreen shrub or tree that is native to the warmer and drier parts southern Africa.[2] It is found in semi-desert and arid bushveld, and in the west it occurs commonly in areas which are otherwise sparsely wooded.[3] It is known for the particularly unpleasant smell of its flowers which appear during early spring, to which its specific name foetida alludes. Its freshly cut wood likewise has an unpleasant smell, and has traditional medicinal and magical uses, for instance as a protection against lightning.[4] In central Botswana the village of Mopipi is named after this species.

  1. ^ Ehrenbold, Samuel; Keding, Viktoria (2015). It is Time to Identify Selected Plants and Animals of the Namib (2nd ed.). Namib Desert Environment Education Trust (NaDEET). p. 9.
  2. ^ Hyde, Mark; et al. "Boscia foetida Schinz subsp. rehmanniana (Pestal.) Toelken". Flora of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference curt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Pooley, E. (1993). The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei. Natal Flora Trust. pp. 102–103. ISBN 0-620-17697-0.