Dalbergia armata

It occurs widely in coastal, montane or riparian forests of southern Tanzania,[1] Mozambique, Eswatini and eastern South Africa. In South Africa it is present in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.[4] The Hluhluwe River is named after this species,[7] due to its prevalence on the banks of the river. The species is virtually confined to White’s Tongaland-Pondoland centre of endemism.[1]

Their thick (up to 15 cm) and 10 to 30 m long ropes[2] have sturdy, sideways-directed spines which may grow in clusters, and encircle the stems. The spines which are up to 10 cm long,[8] hook onto adjacent vegetation to direct the plant towards the canopy. The bark is dark greyish brown.

The alternate leaves are up to 8 cm long, finely compound and are bluish green on their upper surfaces.[2] The 21 to 41[8] oblong leaflets (i.e. 10 to 20 pairs plus terminal) have a sub-opposite or alternate arrangement.[9] The leaflets close in overcast weather, and the foliage is popular with browsing animals.

Draped over a forest tree

Their very small,[9] sweetly scented flowers are creamy-white in colour.[2] They appear in early summer, and are born in dense terminal or axillary clusters.[9] The small and thin seed pods measure about 5 by 2 cm. They are papery in texture[3] and lemon-yellow to pale brown in colour.[2] The indehiscent fruit which hold 1 to 3 seeds each,[1] are often produced in profusion. They appear in clusters on horizontal branch tips, from late summer.[3][2]

The Zebra-wood is also armed and has an overlapping range, but its leaflets are fewer (7 to 13) and larger, while its flowers vary from white to pink.[4] Other Dalbergia species of the region have hairy pods, or velvety undersides to the leaflets. The Thorny elm has simple leaves.