Euphorbia sekukuniensis not combed

The unkempt Euphorbia sekukuniensis crown may not be a winner should there ever be a forest competition about the aesthetics of tree upper parts.

Yet, to each his own. At least there are no parents to complain about the dishevelled aspect, or teachers to check for deviations from the regulation school coiffure in the aspiring saplings of Sekhukhuneland.

This Medusa-like hairdo is all about out- and up-curved fingers, generally about 1 m long. They have continuous longitudinal ridges and flat sides, intermittent constrictions and spiny protection along the ridges. The snakes for hair analogy fits this tree for grizzliness (Frandsen, 2017; Coates Palgrave, 2002).