Corky monkey orange

Corky monkey-orange (Strychnos cocculoiddes): This evergreen to semi-deciduous tree grows up to 4m high on Kalahari sands in dry woodland. It can be found in northern and north-eastern Namibian regions such as along the Kavango River, the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip) and around Rundu. The corky bark is pale grey to grey-brown and the under bark is a pale brown colour. The leaves are bright green above and a paler green below.

Small, green-white flowers display from October to December. A round berry is dark-green with white to pale green specks and turns yellow when mature in a hard, woody shell. The fruit is edible and the fermenting fruit can be made into an alcoholic drink. The seeds are toxic and the bark contains strychnine. The strong wood is used for tool handles.