Macaranga capensis

Macaranga capensis is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is a tree native to sub-Saharan Africa, ranging through eastern and southern Africa from southern Ethiopia to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa,  with an outlier population in Gabon in west-central Africa.

Macaranga capensis medium to large deciduous tree, typically 4.5 to 18 m tall and occasionally up to 25 m. It has a rounded spreading crown. It typically has a straight bole, and the trunk and branches are armed with short spines. The leaves are large, shiny, and dark green, ovate to triangular-ovate, 100 – long by 80 – wide, with a short drip-tip at the apex. Flowers grow in clusters of small creamy white or yellow blooms.

It generally grows in evergreen forests and along stream banks.

The tree is harvested from the wild for timber and for local medicinal uses. It is planted as a shade or garden tree.