''Cyphostemma currorii'' is a succulent tree belonging to the family

Vitaceae The Vitaceae are a family of flowering plants, with 14 genera and around 910 known species, including common plants such as grapevines (''Vitis'' spp.) and Virginia creeper (''Parthenocissus quinquefolia''). The family name is derived from the ...

, also known as Koba or Butter-tree. They grow and reach a height of 6 meters or more. ''Cyphostemma currorii'' is found in hot, arid rocky places, and has been seen from southern

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and e ...

and is common on the Brandberg.

Description

''Cyphostemma currorii'' looks like a big succulent that grows up to be a tree, belonging to the Vitaceae family. ''Cyphostemma currorii'' grows up to be a tree, with creamy, papery peeling bark. The trunk has a yellowish to orange bark, peeling off in a paper-like flakes to expose a greenish underbark. They have very long trunks, they have mid vein with branches. The leaves are at the tip of the branches, arranged in groups of threes. The leaves are fairly large and fleshy, the edges of the leaves are not smooth, they are dentated. The leaves are dentated so they can preserve water so the tree can survive the extra hot seasons.

Distribution

''Cyphostemma currorii'' is found in hot, arid rocky places, and has been seen from southern Angola to Namibia and is common on the Brandberg.

Use

This tree is not used for human consumption, the foliage and fruit are rich in oxalic acid. The fruits are consumed by animals in the area. Due to its trunk ability to preserve water and be able to survive in dry, arid areas these trees are many times used as landscape decoration; ornamental pieces.

Taxonomy

This species was named after Andrew B. Curror, a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

br>surgeon
from the vessel HMS Waterwitch, who first collected specimens of the tree at Elephant's Bay in Angola in the 1840s - the genus '' Curroria'' Planch. is also after him. The foliage and fruit of this genus are rich in

oxalic acid Oxalic acid is an organic acid with the systematic name ethanedioic acid and formula . It is the simplest dicarboxylic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that forms a colorless solution in water. Its name comes from the fact that early inve ...

, so that the leaves are shunned by browsers, though the fruit is relished by baboons and monkeys.

References

Sources

* ''Damaraland Flora'' - Christine Marais, Patricia Craven (Gamsberg McMillan 1992
Caudiciforms
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2836181 currorii Trees of South Africa Trees of Angola Flora of Namibia Plants described in 1849 Caudiciform plants