Zygophyllum retrofractum

Zygophyllum retrofractum is commonly known in Afrikaans as the jakkalsbos (jackal bush), a name shared with Diospyros austro-africana and hondepisbos (dog urine bush), a name shared with Exomis microphylla var. microphylla respectively. These plants are from completely different families, indicating the difficulties involved in pursuing common names for unambiguous plant identification.

Scientific names are not without their difficulties either. Some South African Zygophyllum species have for instance been moved to Roepera and back, while a study early in the twenty first century moving some to Tetraena is not accepted by all and may have been refuted.

There are also those that habitually resist, (read ignore or complain about) genetic studies resulting in plant name changes. This website is an amateur effort without the capacity for scientific verification. The direction given by SANBI is normally followed when divergent nomenclature decisions are encountered.

Z. retrofractum is a low-growing, rounded, spinescent shrub or shrublet, sometimes reaching heights around 1,2 m.

The species distribution is in the west of South Africa, in the Western Cape and the Northern Cape, as well as in southern Namibia.

The habitat is flats receiving little winter rain, mainly in Nama Karoo and succulent Karoo vegetation. The plants grow in sandy, granite derived or lime soils. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Van Rooyen and Van Rooyen, 2019; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi).