Searsia pterota (C.Presl) Moffett

Much-branched, armed shrub, 1.5 to 2 m high, rarely to 4 m. Bark grey, granular, often lichen-covered. Branching squarrose, short shoots ending in sharp spines. Leaves fasciculate, crowded on dwarf outgrowths of older branches and spines, trifoliolate, petiolate; petiole winged, flattened or canaliculate above, (7-)17(-39) mm long; leaflets sessile, rigidly coriaceous, slightly discolorous, dull grey-green above, slightly paler below, glabrous, hypostomatous; lamina elliptic to obovate, base cuneate, apex rounded; margin entire, revolute; venation kladodromous, midrib and secondaries prominent, dull yellow above, slightly prominent below, secondaries 2 or 3 per cm, divided towards margin, often somewhat reversed; terminal leaflets (13-)25(-40) x (5-)10(-19) mm, lateral leaflets (9-)19(-26) x (5-)9(-18) mm. Panicles furfuraceous, fasciculate, up to 35 mm long, males profusely crowded. Flowers normal. Drupe elliptic, ellipsoid, slightly asymmetric, glabrous, shiiiy, fleshy, dark reddish brown, drying black, 5.6 x 4.3-6.4 x 4.9 mm, resinous juice pungent, unpalatable. Flowering recorded in January and in May at Postberg.