Family Capparaceae
Up to 7m in height and found growing in the arid regions of the Northern Cape.
The roots are ground into meal for porridge.
The species has a number of pollinators and is a source of food for various mammals, birds and butterflies. Livestock as well as other herbivores in savanna areas such as giraffe, gemsbok and kudu browse the tree. The tree is often a food plant for the larvae of butterflies (the family Pteridae-whites).
The root is pounded to make porridge. It is commonly used as a substitute for coffee or chicory. The root is also used to make a beer and to treat haemorrhoids. The leaves are nutritious and are often browsed by cattle, although the milk is then said to be tainted. An infusion of the leaves is used to treat eye infections in cattle. The fruits are used in traditional dishes and the flower buds as caper substitutes in pickles. It is said that if the fruits wither before the millet crop is ripe, the harvest will be a failure. Household utensils are made from the wood. If the wood is burnt, it is believed that cows will produce only bull calves
