Balanites Explained

Balanites is an Afrotropical, Palearctic and Indomalayan genus of flowering plants in the caltrop family, Zygophyllaceae. The name Balanites derives from the Greek word for an acorn and refers to the fruit, it was coined by Alire Delile in 1813.^[1]

Species

The following species are included in the genus Balanites:^[2]

• Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile
• Balanites angolensis (Welw.) Mildbr. & Schltr.
• Balanites glabra Mildbr. & Schltr.
• Balanites maughamii Sprague^[3]
• Balanites pedicellaris Mildbr. & Schltr.
• Balanites rotundifolia (Tiegh.) Blatt.
• Balanites roxburghii Planch.
• Balanites triflora Tiegh.
• Balanites wilsoniana Dawe & Sprague

Notes and References

1. Web site: Balanites aegyptiaca . 17 December 2016 . worldagroforestry.org. Agroforestry Database 4.0.
2. Web site: Species in Balanites . 17 December 2016 . The Plant List.
3. Web site: GRIN Species Records of Balanites . Germplasm Resources Information Network . United States Department of Agriculture . 2010-10-12.