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This shrub is one of three members of the genus, Acokanthera. It belongs to the same family as many popular subtropical ornamental plants such as frangipani, allamanda and oleander, as well as the impala lily and num-num. This family is characterized by having sweetly scented flowers and sticky, milky sap which is very poisonous. The Bushman's poison is a hardy drought. It's a frost resistant, evergreen shrub that tolerates full sun but prefers shade, it also does well as a container plant.

This shrub is one of three members of the genus, Acokanthera. It belongs to the same family as many popular sub-tropical, ornamental plants such as frangipani, allamanda and oleander, as well as the impala lily and num-num. This family is characterized by having sweetly scented flowers, and sticky, milky sap which is often poisonous. The Bushman's poison is a hardy drought and frost resistant evergreen shrub. It tolerates full sun but prefers shade. It also does well as a container plant.

Kiwifruit is native to southern China, and has been declared the national fruit of that country. Other species of Actinidia are also found in China and range east to Japan and north into southeastern Siberia. The true Chinese gooseberry (A. sinensis) is native to China. Almost all kiwifruit in commerce belong to a few cultivars of Actinidia deliciosa, and those fruit that we find at local markets is grown in New Zealand. This name "kiwifruit" comes from the kiwi — a brown flightless bird and New Zealand's national symbol, and also a colloquial name for the New Zealand people.

The oblong fruits are up to 3" long. The russet-brown skin of the fruits is densely covered with short, stiff brown hairs. The flesh is firm until fully ripen; it is glistening, juicy and luscious. The color of the flesh is bright-green, or sometimes yellow, brownish or off-white, except for the white, succulent center from which radiate many fine, pale lines.

This lovely twiner with its fuzzy leaves, is ideal for trellis growing. The plant is a vigorous, woody vine (liana) or climbing shrub. Young leaves are coated with red hairs; mature leaves are dark-green and hairless on the upper surface, downy-white with prominent, light-colored veins beneath. The flowers are fragrant, dioecious or bisexual. Male and female flowers appear on different plants and both sexes have to be planted in close proximity for fruit set. Bees are normally used by commercial orchards, although the more labor intensive hand pollination is sometimes employed. Male flowers are gathered and processed to extract their pollen. This is then sprayed back on to the female flowers.

A medium-sized tree up to 15 m high, Adenanthera pavonina is native to India and Malaysia. It has been planted extensively throughout the tropics as an ornamental and has become naturalized in many countries.

The tiny flowers are said to smell vaguely like orange blossoms.

The slender flattened pods become twisted as they split open at maturity to release up to 12 brilliant red, lens - shaped, extremely hard seeds. The ripened pods stay on the tree for some time. The seeds are used in necklaces and ornaments, as beads in jewellery, leis and rosaries. They were also used in ancient India for weighing gold. The seeds are curiously similar in weight. Four seeds make up about one gramme. In fact the name "saga" is traced to the Arabic term for "goldsmith".

In Malaysia and Indonesia, the trees provide shade and planted as "nurse trees" in coffee, clove and rubber plantations.

Although the raw seeds are toxic, when cooked they are edible: are roasted, shelled and then eaten with rice in Java, Indonesia. In Melanesia and Polynesia people call it the "food tree". The seeds are said to taste like soy bean. The young leaves can be cooked and eaten, but usually only during famine.

The hard reddish wood of the red sandalwood tree is used for cabinet making. A red dye, obtained from the wood, is used by Brahmins to mark religious symbols on their foreheads. A red powder made from the wood is used as an antiseptic paste. In Ancient Indian medicine, the ground seeds are used to treat boils and inflammations. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat gout and rheumatism. The bark was used to wash hair.

This is a mature plant, it has a very thick, green caudex. The flowers are lemon colored, and are sweetly scented. More info...