About Rothmannia capensis Thunb.
Rothmannia capensis Thunb. is a South African tree in the Rubiaceae family. When growing in open areas, it typically reaches around 5 meters in height, but it can grow up to 20 meters tall when growing in forest conditions. Its natural range extends from south-western Cape Province, along coastal regions, and inland to the Waterberg and Soutpansberg in Transvaal. It is a common tree on the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. In summer, it produces an abundance of sweetly fragrant flowers. After flowering, it develops smooth, dark green spherical fruits that measure around 80 millimeters in diameter. Its blackish bark features a distinctive pattern of fine rectangular cracks. Carl Peter Thunberg named this genus for Göran Rothman (1739–1778); both Thunberg and Rothman were pupils of Carl Linnaeus.
