Boscia foetida

Boscia foetida, commonly known as the stink shepherd's tree and the smelly shepherd's bush, is an evergreen shrub or tree that is native to the warmer and drier parts southern Africa. It is found in semi-desert and arid bushveld, and in the west it occurs commonly in areas which are otherwise sparsely wooded. It is known for the particularly unpleasant smell of its flowers which appear during early spring, to which its specific name foetida alludes. Its freshly cut wood likewise has an unpleasant smell, and has traditional medicinal and magical uses, for instance as a protection against lightning. In central Botswana the village of Mopipi is named after this species.

Description

An untidy shrub. It can grow 5 m tall. It has many stems from the base. The stems are smooth and grey. The branches are thickly set with small hard leaves. The leaves grow in tufts on short knobs. The leaves are about 8 mm long. They are oval and taper to the base. The twigs and branches can have spines at their tips. The flowers are small and green, They have a horrid smell. The fruit are round and hairy and the size of a cherry. They are light brown when ripe. There are 1-3 seeds inside. They have a sweet oily pulp. They are edible. There are some subspecies.

Edible Uses

The fruit are eaten raw. The roots can be roasted and used as a chicory substitute for coffee-like drinks, or pounded and added to porridge.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw. The root is occasionally used as a chicory substitute for coffee like drinks. They are roasted for this. The roots are pounded and also used in porridge.

Medicinal Uses

None mentioned.

Known Hazards

None mentioned.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in arid areas and on sand dunes. It grows in areas with a rainfall of about 50 mm. It grows between 50-1,400 m above sea level. It can grow in desert places. It is drought tolerant. It can grow in arid places. It is often on termite mounds.

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Trees can be grown from seed. They can also be grown by layering branches. This occurs naturally in areas with higher rainfall. Plants can be cut back and will re-grow.

Other Information

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Notes

There are 37 Boscia species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Ingcotho, Noeniebos, Stinkbos, Umpheme, Umphisi lomncane, Xaube hunis

References (17)

• Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 144
• Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 79
• Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
• Malan & Owen-Smith, 1974,
• Mannheimer, C. A. & Curtis. B.A. (eds), 2009, Le Roux and Muller's Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Namibia. Windhoek: Macmillan Education Namibia. p 60

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