NEWS
into brown and woody pods . It ' s found in the forested kloofs of the Eastern Cape , in the East London , Kentani , and King William ' s Town Districts . Rapid human expansion in these areas threatens Umtiza , with the species recently being restored in the Umtiza Nature Reserve .
" No person may cut , disturb , damage or destroy any protected tree or possess , collect , remove , transport , export , purchase , sell , donate or in any other manner acquire or dispose of any protected tree except under a license granted by the Minister ," notes the gazette .
Anybody caught transgressing these laws could " be sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for a period of up to three years , or a fine and such imprisonment ."
Figure 2 . Berchemia zeyheri ( Image : Wikimedia Commons )
Figure 3 . Diospyros mespiliformis ( Image : Wikimedia Commons )
ous and is commonly found in Limpopo , where , according to the South African National Biodiversity Institute ( SANBI ), its fruit is picked and sold on the street .
Wood from the tree has also been used to craft durable furniture , while its leaves and fruit are favoured by birds , bushbuck , and people alike .
Diospyros mespiliformis , better known as African ebony or jackal-berry , can grow 25 meters high , with a trunk circumference of 5 meters and dense evergreen canopy . It produces a fleshy oval fruit , yellow-green in colour , and is sought after by nyalas , impalas , warthogs , baboons , and hornbills .
Jackal-berry trees are found throughout Africa and , locally , are common on savannas or savanna woodlands , like the Kruger National Park , where they can be found growing on termite mounds .
Figure 4 . Schinziophyton rautanenii ( Image : Wikimedia Commons )
The
Schinziophyton rautanenii , best known as the Manketti tree or Mongongo nut , is not endemic to South Africa but can be found in northern Limpopo . It ' s a large spreading tree that usually grows to between 15 to 20 meters tall , with grey to pale golden-brown bark .
The Manketti tree ' s light grey-green fruits are covered in velvety hairs , while its hard seeds produce an edible oil .
Umtiza listeriana , or simply Umtiza , localised and endemic to South Africa is found only in a small area in the Eastern Cape . Part of the legume family , this rare evergreen tree grows up to 12 meters and produces oblong leaves 20 to 60 mm long . Umtiza also produces fruit that matures
Figure 5 . Umtiza listeriana ( Image : PlantZAfrica - SANBI , Creative Commons )
39 Grassroots Vol 21 No 4 December 2021