About Cryptocarya woodii Engl.
Cryptocarya woodii, commonly known as the Cape quince, is a shrub or small forest tree native to southern and eastern Africa. Its scientific species epithet honors John Medley Wood, a botanist who worked in Natal. Starting from mid-summer, the tree produces small, inconspicuous flowers. Ripe fruits of this species have a bumpy surface and a shiny, purple-black color. When leaves are held against light, their veins reveal minute secretory glands called areolae. The foliage of this tree is eaten by the larvae of two butterfly species: Papilio euphranor and Charaxes xiphares.
