Zanthoxylum davyi, the forest knobwood, is a dioecious species of plant in the family Rutaceae. It is native to the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa, western Eswatini and eastern Zimbabwe. It occurs in coastal and mistbelt forests, and grows some 10 to 24 m tall.[1]

Forest knobwood
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Genus:	Zanthoxylum
Species:	Z. davyi
Binomial name
Zanthoxylum davyi (I.Verd.) Waterm.
Synonyms
Fagara davyi I.Verd. Zanthoxylum thunbergii DC. Zanthoxylum thunbergii var. grandifolia Harv.

Bole and bark

Their sturdy, straight trunks are heavily armed with hornlike knobs.[1]

Foliage and flowers

The compound leaves are 5 to 30 cm long.[1]

Species interactions and uses

Birds eat the fruit.[1]

Similar species

Similar species are the smaller Z. capense which occurs in mostly dryer inland regions, and Z. leprieurii which is native to sand forests of subtropical lowlands.

References

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