Otters Den Tree List
One of the special features of Otters Den is its great diversity of magnificent trees. The
soil varies from deep alluvium where towering jackalberries, quinine trees,
natal mahogany and weeping boer bean
form a closed canopy. Next to the rapids, where bedrock dominates, evergreen
trees including matumi, water pear and waterberry form a dense gallery. Further from the
water's edge, the
riverine forest gives way to a transition zone with tamboti, apple leaf and ana trees. Even
further inland, one reaches dry woodland characterised by marula, leadwood, umbrella thorn and knob
thorn.
The list of indigenous trees of Otters Den was initiated by John Rushworth and Jason Stewart in
1995 when they catalogued 100 tree species in two days on the 50 hectare island. The list has
since grown to 113 and observant treespotters may find a few more. For comparison, consider that in
all of the British Isles one can only find 39 indigenous tree species.
| No. | Botanical name | English | Afrikaans |
| 22 | Phoenix reclinata | Wild date palm | Wildedadelboom |
| 28.1 | Aloe arborescens | Krantz aloe | Kransaalwyn |
| 29.5 | Aloe marlothii | Mountain aloe | Bergaalwyn |
| 36.1 | Salix mucronata subsp. wilmsii | Tranvaal willow | Transvaalwilger |
| 42 | Trema orientalis | Pigeonwood | Hophout |
| 43 | Chaetacme aristata | Thorny elm | Doringolm |
| 50 | Ficus sur | Broom cluster fig | Besemtrosvy |
| 50.1 | Ficus capreifolia | Sandpaper fig | Skurwevy |
| 55 | Ficus ingens | Red-leaved rock fig | Rooiblaarrotsvy |
| 66 | Ficus sycomorus | Sycamore fig | Sycamorusvy |
| 71 | Pouzolzia mixta | Soap nettle | Seepnetel |
| 102 | Ximenia americana | Small sourplum | Kleinsuurpruim |
| 103 | Ximenia caffra var. caffra | Large sourplum | Grootsuurpruim |
| 130.1 | Capparis tomentosa | Wooly caper-bush | Wollerige kapperbos |
| 132 | Maerua angolensis | Bead-bean | Knoppiesboontjie |
| 150 | Albizia anthelmintica | Worm-cure albizia | Wumbasvalsdoring |
| 155 | Albizia harveyi | Sickle leaved albizia | Bleekblaarboom |
| 159 | Faidherbia albida | Ana tree | Anaboom |
| 161 | Acacia burkei | Black Monkey Thorn | Swartapiesdoring |
| 172 | Acacia karroo | Sweet thorn | Soetdoring |
| 178 | Acacia nigrescens | Knob thorn | Knoppiesdoring |
| 179 | Acacia nilotica | Scented thorn | Lekkerruikpeul |
| 183.1 | Acacia robusta subsp. clavigera | Brack thorn | Brakdoring |
| 184.1 | Acacia schweinfurthii | River climbing thorn | Rivierrankdoring |
| 185.1 | Acacia senegal var. rostrata | Three hook thorn | Driehaakdoring |
| 188 | Acacia tortilis | Umrella thorn | Haak-en-steek |
| 189 | Acacia xanthophloea | Fever tree | Koorsboom |
| 190 | Dichrostachys cinerea | Sickle bush | Sekelbos |
| 202 | Schotia brachypetala | Weeping boer-bean | Huilboerboon |
| 209 | Piliostigma thonningi | Camel's foot | Kamelspoor |
| 213 | Senna petersiana (Cassia) | Monkey pod | Apiespeul |
| 215 | Peltophorum africanum | Weeping wattle | Huilboom |
| 222 | Bolusanthus speciosus | Tree wistaria | Vanwykshout |
| 224.1 | Crotalaria capensis | Cape Rattle-pod | Kaapse klapperpeul |
| 229.1 | Sesbania sesban subsp. sesban | River bean | Rivierboontjie |
| 231 | Dalbergia armata | Thorny rope | Doringtou |
| 238 | Philenoptera violacea | Apple-leaf | Appelblaar |
| 241 | Xanthocercis zambesiaca | Nyala tree | Njalaboom |
| 251 | Balanites maughamii | Torchwood | Groendoring |
| 253 | Zanthoxylum capense | Small knobwood | Kleinperdepram |
| 267 | Kirkia acuminata | White syringa | Witsering |
| 280 | Commiphora mollis | Velvet commiphora | Fluweelkanniedood |
| 292 | Ptaeroxylon obliquum | Sneeze wood | Nieshout |
| 298 | Ekebergia capensis | Cape ash | Essenhout |
| 301 | Trichilia emetica | Natal mahogany | Rooiessenhout |
| 309 | Securinega virosa (Flueggea) | White-berry bush | Witbessiebos |
| 312.1 | Phyllanthus reticulatus | Potato bush | Aartappelbos |
| 318 | Antidesma venosum | Tassel berry | Voëlsitboom |
| 322 | Bridelia cathartica subsp. cathartica | Knobby bridelia | Bloublaarsoetbessie |
| 324 | Bridelia micrantha | Mizeeri | Mitserie |
| 341 | Spirostachys africana | Tamboti | Tambotie |
| 355 | Euphorbia tirucalli | Rubber euphorbia | Kraalnaboom |
| 360 | Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra | Marula | Maroela |
| 363 | Lannea schweinfurthii var. stuhlmanii | False marula | Bastermaroela |
| 384 | Rhus gueinzii | Thorny karee | Doringkaree |
| 387 | Rhus leptodictya | Mountain karee | Bergkaree |
| 392 | Rhus pyroides | Common taaibos | Geowone taaibos |
| 402 | Maytenus senegalensis | Confetti tree | Bloupendoring |
| 410 | Cassine aethiopica | Kooboo-berry | Koeboebessie |
| 416 | Cassine transvaalensis | Transvaal saffron | Transvaalsaffraan |
| 433 | Pappea capensis | Jacket plum | Doppruim |
| 447 | Ziziphus mucronata subsp. mucronata | Buffalo-thorn | Blinkblaarwag-'n-bietjie |
| 450 | Berchemia zeyheri | Red Ivory | Rooi-ivoor |
| 455 | Heteropyxis natalensis | Lavender tree | Laventelboom |
| 458 | Grewia bicolor | White raisin | Witrosyntjie |
| 459.2 | Grewia flavescens var. flavescens | Sandpaper-raisin | Skurweblaarrosyntjie |
| 460 | Grewia hexamita | Giant raisin | Reuserosyntjie |
| 463 | Grewia occidentalis | Cross-berry | Kruisbessie |
| 468 | Dombeya autumnalis | Autumn dombeya | Rotsdrolpeer |
| 469 | Dombeya cymosa | Natal dombeya | Nataldrolpeer |
| 471 | Dombeya rotundifolia | Common wild pear | Gewone drolpeer |
| 480.1 | Ochna inermis | Lowveld plane | Laeveldrooihout |
| 486 | Garcinia livingstonei | African mangosteen | Laeveldse geelmelkhout |
| 501 | Homalium dentatum | Brown ironwood | Bruinysterhout |
| 506 | Flacourtia indica | Governor's plum | Goewerneurspruim |
| 511 | Dovyalis zeyheri | Wild apricot | Wilde-appelkoos |
| 532 | Combretum apiculatum | Red bushwillow | Rooiboswilg |
| 536 | Combretum erythrophyllum | River bushwillow | Rivierboswilg |
| 538 | Combretum hereroense | Russet bushwillow | Kierieklapper |
| 539 | Combretum imberbe | Leadwood | Hardekool |
| 540.3 | Combretum mossambicense | Knobbly creeper | Knoppiesklimop |
| 549 | Terminalia phanerophlebia | Lebombo terminalia | Lebombotrosblaar |
| 550 | Terminalia prunioides | Lowveld cluster-leaf | Sterkbos |
| 551 | Terminalia sericea | Silver cluster-leaf | Vaalboom |
| 555 | Syzygium cordatum | Water berry/ Umdoni | Waterbessie |
| 557 | Syzygium guineense | Water pear | Waterpeer |
| 564 | Cussonia spicata | Cabbage tree | Gewone kiepersol |
| 579 | Sideroxylon inerme | White milkwood | Witmelkhout |
| 585 | Mimusops zeyheri | Red milkwood | Moepel |
| 594 | Euclea crispa | Blue guarri | Bloughwarrie |
| 595 | Euclea divinorum | Magic guarri | Towerghwarrie |
| 597 | Euclea natalensis | Large-leaved guarri | Natalghwarrie |
| 605.1 | Diospyros lycioides subsp. sericea | Blue bush | Bloubos |
| 606 | Diospyros mespiliformis | Jackall berry | Jakkalsbessie |
| 617 | Olea europaea subsp. africana | Wild olive | Olienhout |
| 626 | Strychnos madagascariensis | Black monkey orange | Swartklapper |
| 629 | Strychnos spinosa | Green monkey orange | Groenklapper |
| 635 | Nuxia oppositifolia | Water elder | Watervlier |
| 640.2 | Carissa bispinosa var. acuminata | Num-num | Noemnoem |
| 640.5 | Carissa edulis | Simple-spine num-num | Enkeldoringnoemnoem |
| 647 | Rauvolfia caffra | Quinine tree | Kinaboom |
| 654 | Cordia ovalis | Snot berry | Snotbessie |
| 656 | Ehretia obtusifolia | Sandpaper bush | Skurweblaarbos |
| 657 | Ehretia rigida | Puzzle bush | Deurmekaarbos |
| 667 | Clerodendrum glabrum | Tinderwood | Tontelhout |
| 668 | Karomia speciosa | Wild parasol flower | Wildesambreelboom |
| 676 | Rhigozum zambesiacum | Mopane pomegranate | Mopaniegranaat |
| 684 | Breonadia salicina | Matumi | Mingerhout |
| 691 | Gardenia volkensii subsp. volkensii | Transvaal gardenia | Transvaal katjiepiering |
| 702 | Vangueria infausta subsp. infausta | Wild medlar | Mispel |
| 708 | Canthium inerme | Turkey-berry | Gewone bokdrol |
| 709 | Canthium ciliatum | Dwarf turkey-berry | Dwergbokdrol |
| 716 | Pavetta gardeniifolia | Common bride's bush | Gewone bruidsbos |
| Total number of tree species identified at Otter's Den: 113 | |||