Hi Pat, Would have answered sooner but been battling with a combination of rolling blackouts and genuine power failures. There is a central american tree called Prosopis and these are widespread as invasives in Namibia and in some of the drier areas of SA. The pods, which are long and constricted between the seeds like beans, make excellent animal fodder. I think this is why they were imported in the first place. The Acacia erioloba (Camel Thorn) has a short, broad, grey pod and looks very different to Prosopis. Sorry I can't help with the other plant. Paddy On 27 June 2015 at 03:50, Pat Frykberg via <south-africa@rootsweb.com> wrote: > There are botanists and naturalists out there who I am sure will have > these answers for me ? > > 1. The tree in question is, from my childhood's viewpoint quite tall. It > carried long pods we called boointjies, edible, green at first and sharp > taste, but later dried out a brown colour with the flesh now a dusty beige > and dry. I have had one description ---- is it called prosopis. ? > Camelthorn? I remember these from Okahandja, mainly. > > 2. On a smallish shrubby tree with I think thorns, we would eat the sweet > gum that oozed from a wound in the bark. Sometimes the gum was very thick > honey-like and sweet/woody and blood red, or dried in yellowish sweet > crisp lumps. > > These are memories going back to the 1930s. I would Love to have the > answers, please. > Many thanks > Patricia Frykberg. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > SOUTH-AFRICA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >