Dalbergia armata (Hluhluwe creeper) is a scrambling, deciduous species of legume that is native to subtropical to temperate regions of southeastern Africa. The robust, woody liana or small tree[1] is armed with strong spines on the main stem and branches.[2] It occurs sparsely or commonly in forest, bush, riparian fringes and in wooded ravines.[3] It is sometimes employed as a bonsai subject,[1] [4] and it can be propagated from either seed or cuttings.[5]
It occurs widely in coastal, montane or riparian forests of southern Tanzania,[6] Mozambique, Eswatini and eastern South Africa. In South Africa it is present in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.[3] The Hluhluwe River is named after this species,[7] due to its prevalence on the banks of the river. The species is virtually confined to White’s Tongaland-Pondoland centre of endemism.[6]
Their thick (up to 15 cm) and 10 to 30 m long ropes[1] have sturdy, sideways-directed spines which may grow in clusters, and encircle the stems. The spines which are up to 10 cm long,[8] hook onto adjacent vegetation to direct the plant towards the canopy. The bark is dark greyish brown.
The alternate leaves are up to 8 cm long, finely compound and are bluish green on their upper surfaces.[1] The 21 to 41[8] oblong leaflets (i.e. 10 to 20 pairs plus terminal) have a sub-opposite or alternate arrangement.[9] The leaflets close in overcast weather, and the foliage is popular with browsing animals. Their very small,[9] sweetly scented flowers are creamy-white in colour.[1] They appear in early summer, and are born in dense terminal or axillary clusters.[9] The small and thin seed pods measure about 5 by 2 cm. They are papery in texture[2] and lemon-yellow to pale brown in colour.[1] The indehiscent fruit which hold 1 to 3 seeds each,[6] are often produced in profusion. They appear in clusters on horizontal branch tips, from late summer.[2] [1]
The Zebra-wood is also armed and has an overlapping range, but its leaflets are fewer (7 to 13) and larger, while its flowers vary from white to pink.[3] Other Dalbergia species of the region have hairy pods, or velvety undersides to the leaflets. The Thorny elm has simple leaves.
. Eve Palmer. A Field Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa . 91–92 . 1977 . Collins . London, Johannesburg . 0-620-05468-9.