Scutia myrtina
Scutia myrtina is a species of plant in the family Rhamnaceae. It is commonly known as cat-thorn.
Description
Scutia myrtina is a variable plant that may grow as a shrub or tree of 2-10 m tall with a trunk diameter of 30 cm or often a scandent liane, climbing by means of thorns. Older bark is dark, corky and longitudinally fissured. Younger growth is hairy and branchlets are green and angular. The thorns are sharp, recurved and paired at the nodes, but sometimes absent. The common name, cat-thorn, refers to the thorns that look like a cat's claw.Leaves are ovate to obovate, often notched at the apex, but always with mucronulate tip, opposite with usually entire margin, sometimes wavy.
The fruit is a berry with black skin and white flesh containing two to three seeds.