# Common Spikethorn

*Gymnosporia buxifolia*

Historically, the long, sturdy thorns of this tree were used as pins and even as needles for sewing by early settlers and indigenous peoples.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Celastrales › Celastraceae › Gymnosporia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Savanna, thickets, and woodland margins, often in rocky terrain.
- **Diet:** Autotroph (Photosynthesis)
- **Range:** South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique
- **Size:** 3 to 8 meters in height; typically a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree.
- **Lifespan:** 40-70 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat conversion for agriculture and localized over-harvesting for traditional medicine.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless but possesses sharp thorns that can cause painful punctures. Wear sturdy clothing and boots when walking nearby. If skin is pierced, clean with antiseptic and monitor for infection.

## About

Gymnosporia buxifolia is a species of plant in the family Celastraceae native to southern Africa. The common name is Common Spike-thorn .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/323f99d5-a503-4c30-85a7-717fb3ab0f99
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/586670
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosporia_buxifolia
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/242506420/medium.jpeg (Nicola van Berkel, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.