Hyaenanche globosa stem

The stem of Hyaenanche globosa is pale grey to brown, tending to become slightly rough from some longitudinal fissuring on the older parts. Low down the stem may look quite gnarled. The young twigs are green and smooth. The tree may grow to 5 m in height, spreading from the base. The plant often, however, only reaches shrub proportions in its unyielding habitat, usually just a broad bush with leaves to ground level. Whitish blotches of lichen growth are scattered along the stems of the tree in picture.

This species is not considered to be threatened in terms of its population size in nature, although its natural distribution in the Gifberg where it is endemic, is quite small (Coates Palgrave, 2002; www.plantzafrica.com).