Senegalia welwitschii subsp. delagoensis against the sky

In silhouette, the Senegalia welwitschii subsp. delagoensis branches display zigzagging between the nodes of some of the younger ones. Young, greenish stems have a covering of fine, whitish lenticels.

The pairs of short, hooked thorns ably convey the message of keeping one’s distance, should one be made of skin and flesh susceptible to damage from unrelenting prickles. The prickle pairs are positioned immediately below the nodes where the leaves grow. Prickles are grey to nearly black, up to 5 mm long, hard and sharp-tipped.

This would not be the best choice of tree for obtaining a straight branch to furnish a walking stick (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Codd, 1951; iNaturalist).