Tamboti

The Tamboti is a smallish, deciduous tree, (10m) with leaves that turn red to red-brown. It has a relatively long, sometimes thick, straight stem and roughly round, relatively dense crown. It is sometimes multi-stemmed and the old stems turn black with age. The bark breaks up into small, rectangular sections in longitudinal rows, that contain latex. The latex is poisonous and therefore even wood is not to be used for braai's.

The inflorescence flowers contain both male and female florets, and the fruits of the Tamboti ripen in September/October and split into 3 when falling. The wood is exceptional, especially for furniture; it is heavy, very hard, finely textured and oily. It also contains a poisonous substance which causes a severe eye irritation. Insects are known to cause the fallen fruits to hop around on the ground, especially on hot days. Great numbers of tamboti trees grow around Grootfontein.