Senegalia nigrescens, the knob thorn

Knob thorns are well-known in the Lowveld. This spreading tree was seen south of the Crocodile River in April.

The crown width of an old Senegalia nigrescens may well exceed its height. The meandering large branches are fairly abruptly reduced to a multitude of thin, fairly sparsely leaved upper branchlets, although there was no drought here next to the strong flowing river. Some knob thorns do, however, provide good summer shade. The knobs are gone from the deeply fissured lower branches, still present up among the smaller branches of a certain age and thickness.

These trees often have Themeda triandra grass growing near them in the north-easterly summer rainfall region of South Africa. This makes them good places for cattle and game visits to enjoy the fallen fruit pods and the favoured grass, both high on the fodder list.

Those that still play jukskei know to choose S. nigrescens wood for good quality skeie. The pale brown wood includes a small, dark brown, tough heartwood (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Carr, 1976).