Cryptocarya myrtifolia, the myrtle quince, is a medium to tall tree of 10 m to 20 m (SA Tree List No 115). It grows in forests of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Mpumalanga Lowveld and in Swaziland, as well as in southern Mozambique.

The habitat is evergreen forests, often in the mist-belt, on steep slopes and in ravines close to watercourses, from low to medium elevations. The species is considered vulnerable early in the twenty first century, due to urban expansion around Durban, bark harvesting for use in traditional medicine and deforestation.

The stem of C. myrtifolia seen here has fairly smooth, brown bark. Its young branches are velvety from a dense covering of hairs (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993; www.redlist.sanbi.org).