Euphorbiaceae - Euphorbia family
SA Tree no 341
This tree occurs in low altitude bush on all soil types. It is most often seen in groups of a few big trees along the rivers or stream banks, or in large groups of smaller trees, forming a "mini" forest in the brackish flats. It is a small tree, with a height of 5 - 10 m, and high density.
The trunk is straight, upright, single and bare. There is a dense, rounded, narrow canopy. The bark is characteristically dark grey to black, thick, rough and neatly cracked into regular rectangles. Young, red leaves are often visible among the older, green leaves. Small amounts of a poisonous, extremely irritant, milky latex are produced when branches are broken, The latex can cause severe illness if the wood is used as fuel to cook.
Links with animals - The fruit is eaten by crested guineafowl, grancolin and doves. Black rhino eat the young branches. Dry fallen leaves are eaten by kudu, nyala, impala and vervet monkeys.
Human uses - The wood is very valuable and used to manufacture exceptional furniture. The poisonous lates is used to stupefy fish, for easier catching, and the sap to treat toothache.
Gardening - This tree can be very attractive in gardens, owing to the red colouring of the leaves in spring and autumn. It is fairly drought- and frost resistant. It is difficult to find healthy seed, and it is a slow grower. The wood produces toxic fumes when burned, and should never be used as braai fuel.
Leaves - Simple, alternate, spiral, elliptic, with 2 glands at the junction with the petiole, light green, hairy, becoming brilliant yellow to red in autumn; apex and base tapering to rounded/ margin finely toothed or scalloped; petiole slender, about 6 mm long. Stipules small and falling early; leaves have a finely serrated margin. Young, red leaves are often visible among the older, green leaves. ( 50 x 25 mm)
Flowers - Flowering spikes of male (gold) and female (blood-red) appear before the leaves, in early summer, from August to November. Flowers are produced in the axils of distinctive reddish bracts in slender spikes, up to 30 mm long; each spike is usually made up of lots of male flowers, sometimes with a few female flowers at the base. All floral parts in fives; petals and disc absent; stamens 3, joined to form a slender tube, are absent from the female flowers; ovary 3-celled, with 3 styles joined to form a thick cylindric column, vestigial in male flowers.(15 mm)
Fruit - The brown capsules are three-lobed, and open with an exploding sound that can be heard on hot summer days. Seeds infected by larvae may be seen to jump and are known as "jumping beans". They ripen from September to November. (10 mm)
Best places to see the Tamboti in Southern Africa:
The Tamboti is found in the Kruger National Park in the Mixed Bushwillow Woodlands, Pretoriuskop Sourveld, Malelane Mountain Bushveld, Sabie Crocodile Thorn Thickets, Delagoa Thorn Thickets, Riverine Communities, Alluvial Plains, Tree Mopane Savannah & Mopane / Bushwillow Woodlands ecozones.
 Tree species of Southern Africa >> Printable Tree List <<
South African Trees >> Printable Tree List <<
The Plant Kingdom (Plantae)
Wildlife - Fauna & Flora of Southern Africa
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