Mike,

I don't know of a tree that can be that nasty. It could be that the guy who told you about it was adding a bit of good old Afrcian exaggeration or it could be that I simply don't know about it. I guess I know the bush pretty well and I certainly was lucky enough to have some great teachers, but I certainly wouldn't claim to know everything about it.....actually, the more I know about the bush the more I realise there's even more to learn.

The two worst trees that I know of (esp in zululand) are the tamboti which I've described and the euphorbias which look like giant (green) cactus, but are actually a tree. The most common euphorbia in Zululand (now KZN) is the Euphorbia Ingens of giant candelaba tree.

Both trees also have good uses.

Vapordog

.............I'll have to remember that one !