Ptaeroxylon obliquum leaves

Ptaeroxylon obliquum or sneezewood gets its name from the peppery oils in the wood that cause sneezing in those too close by when the wood is being sawn or sanded. Ptaeroxylon is a combination of the Greek words for sneeze and wood.

The leaves are compound without a terminal leaflet. Leaflets are opposite, growing in three to seven pairs per leaf. They have entire margins. The leaflets display elegantly oblique shapes with distinctive curvature in their asymmetry that assists in tree identification and echoes the specific name. The rachis of the pinnate leaf is slightly winged.

Leaf colour is quite variable, ranging between dark green and blue-green, brighter and hairy when young. Translucent gland dots on the leaf surface can be seen when holding the leaf against the light (www.plantzafrica.com).