African Wildlife & Environment Issue 84 2023

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

LEFT Platylophus in fruit and ABOVE Cassine peragua fruits. The former with trifoliolata, opposite leaves being diagnostic and the latter with an orangey bark being characteristic

ABOVE and RIGHT are photos of Cunonia capensis the ‘butter-spoon’. Above the beautiful twin flowering spikes that look like Xmas candles - and right a close-up of a ‘butter spoon’ that is in fact two stipules that protect the apical shoot. Inside this protective cavity there is a buttery-like gooey substance that is slightly bitter to the taste

28 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 84 (2023)