Schotia afra var. angustifolia upper branches

At the end of winter the upper branches of this Namaqualand Schotia afra var. angustifolia tree appear short on foliage as the old supply gradually disappears and before the new consignment arrives. There is not much yet of the spreading crown and appreciated summer shade this tree manages when conditions allow.

No fruits from the previous season are still present. The flattened, woody pods become from 7 cm to 15 cm long and 2,5 cm to 4 cm wide. Their margins become thickened, the pods persisting beyond the ripening when they split.

Red-brown, somewhat disc-shaped seeds with yellow aril attachments are released. The seeds are eaten by animals and people, sometimes collected and pounded into a meal.

The bark is quite pale to whitish, the rigid stems tending to curve. Long shoots grown in one season are not typical of this tree given the semi-arid to arid conditions it faces in nature. Short spur-branches tend to sprout, carrying leaves and flowers (Mannheimer and Curtis, (Eds.), 2009; Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist).