| Scutia myrtina | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rhamnaceae |
| Genus: | Scutia |
| Species: | S. myrtina
|
| Binomial name | |
| Scutia myrtina | |
Scutia myrtina is a species of plant in the family Rhamnaceae. It is commonly known as cat-thorn.[2]
Scutia myrtina is a variable plant that may grow as a shrub or tree of 2-10 m tall with trunk diameter to 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 green and angular.[3] The thorns are sharp, recurved and paired at the nodes, but sometimes absent.[4] The common name, cat-thorn, refers to the thorns that look like a cat's claw.
Leaves are ovate to obovate in shape, often notched at the apex, but always with mucronulate tip, opposite with usually entire margin, sometimes wavy.[4]
The fruit is a berry with black skin and white flesh containing two to three seeds.[4]
The plant is found in Asia and Africa.[3]
Scutia myrtina has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List (as at 2018-05-07), but is listed as least concern in the Red List of South African Plants.[5]
Several species in the genus Scutia have been used in traditional medicine, such as the Ayurvedic system from India.[6][7]
