Giant cabbage tree

Spiked cabbage tree
Cussonia spicata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Araliaceae
Subfamily:	Aralioideae
Genus:	Cussonia
Species:	C. spicata
Binomial name
Cussonia spicata Thunb.

Cussonia spicata (known as spiked cabbage tree, lowveld cabbage tree or common cabbage tree) is a tree in the Araliaceae family, which is native to the moister regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is cultivated as a garden plant in areas without extreme degrees of frost. It is one of the favorite foods of wild elephants.

Larger specimens develop a sturdy trunk and a rounded, spreading canopy, and can reach a height of 15 meters. The attractive leaves grow from the end of thick branches to form rounded heads. The species name spicata means "spike-like", and suggests the arrangement of its flowers.

It occurs naturally from southern and eastern South Africa to the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia and northwards into tropical Africa.

It has been used in traditional African medicine and its medicinal properties are being investigated.

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Wikipedia