Large Boscia albitrunca trees just look like senior members of their local plant communities; as if they have been there for longer than most. The name albitrunca means white trunk, a descriptive specific epithet.

An old shepherd’s tree in the veld often still shows the tell-tale signs of a gathering, resting or talking place for the traditional people of the area. The shady patches offered by these trees are truly the drawing rooms of Africa.

Old grindstones where sorghum or maize used to be prepared are still occasionally seen in the clearings around them. No wonder that there are rules for the protection of shepherd's trees among some of the indigenous peoples (www.plantzafrica.com).