| Shepherd tree | |
|---|---|
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Scientific 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 theshepherd tree orshepherd's tree (Afrikaans:Witgat,Sotho:Mohlôpi,Tswana:Motlôpi,Venda:Muvhombwe,Xhosa:Umgqomogqomo,Zulu:Umvithi), is aprotected species ofSouth African tree in thecaper 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 anevergreen tree native to southern and tropical Africa, living in the hot, dry, and often seasonallybrackish low-lying areas, sometimes on abundantlime or occasionally on rocky terrain. It is a common tree of theKalahari,bushveld andlowveld. It is one of the most important animalforage trees in the Kalahari.[4]
This tree grows up to 10 m (33 ft) tall but is usually much smaller. It has a prominent, sturdy white trunk frequently with strips of rough, dark-coloured bark. Thecrown is oftenbrowsed byantelope and anygrazers capable of reaching the foliage, resulting in a conspicuous flattened underside, or browse-line. Theleaves are narrow,oblanceolate, and stiff, with veins obscure except for the distinctmidrib. Theflowers are small, greenish-yellow, lacking petals, starburst-shaped, and clustered. Thefruits, on a jointed stalk, are about 10 mm (0.4 in) in diameter and are brittle-skinned with a whitish flesh and largeendocarp. A specimen found in the centralKalahari in 1974 hadroots extending to 68 m (223 ft) deep, making it the plant with the deepest known roots thus far found.[2][additional citation(s) needed]
Boscia belongs to the caper family,Capparaceae.Boscia albitrunca is closely related toBoscia foetida subsp.rehmanniana, the bushveld shepherd's tree, which has much smaller leaves and velvet-texturedskin on its fruits. The genus was named forLouis Bosc (1759–1828), a French professor of agriculture who lived through theFrench Revolution.[citation needed]
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