Rhigozum trichotomum flowers and leaves

Rhigozum trichotomum (SA Tree List No. 676.1), the driedoring in Afrikaans, is included in the Tree List, probably because the plant is woody and there are other Rhigozum species accepted as trees. It usually grows to shrub size only, seldom exceeding 2 m.

The distribution of the driedoring is arid land that lies inland in the north-west of South African, particularly Namaqualand and the Kalahari. Driedoring also grows in Namibia and Botswana. These parts are subject to extreme temperatures and low rainfall.

Poor veld management over many years, generations actually, has rendered vast tracts of grazing veld in these parts nearly useless. The driedoring and other invaders have been encroaching, thus replacing the more palatable Karoo scrub species that meet nutritional requirements for farming of livestock. This reduced the carrying capacity of affected veld and made the driedoring unloved by farmers.

Also plants may become innocent scapegoats for the mistakes of others. Correcting this kind of error is too often beyond the scope of available budgets and the timeframes of generations (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Shearing, 1994).