Quiver Trees in Namibia (नामीबिया में तेंदुए के पेड़)

Quiver Trees in Namibia

 Quiver tree
Aloe dichotoma is a tall, branching species of aloe, indigenous to Southern Africa, specifically in the Northern Cape region of South Africa, and parts of Southern Namibia.
Scientific name: Aloidendron dichotomum
Higher classification: Tree aloes
Rank: Species
Did you know: Known as Choje to the indigenous San people, the quiver tree gets its name from the San practice of hollowing out the tubular branches of Aloe dichotoma to form quivers for their arrows

The Quiver Tree Forest (Kokerboom Woud in Afrikaans) is a forest and tourist attraction of southern Namibia. It is located about 14 km north-east of Keetmanshoop, on the road to Koës, on the Gariganus farm. It comprises about 250 specimens of Aloe dichotoma, a species of aloe that is also locally known as "quiver tree" (Afrikaans: kokerboom) because bushmen traditionally used its branches to make quivers. The forest is spontaneous; the tallest quiver trees are two to three centuries old. The forest was declared a national monument of Namibia on June 1, 1995.

Near the forest, there is another site of natural interest (itself a tourist attraction) for its geology, the Giant's Playground, a vast pile of large dolerite rocks. This tree is also known for looking like its upside down because the "leaves" look somewhat similar to roots. The "quiver tree" has a long history of beliefs that it will bring good luck to anybody that worships a tree and nurtures it. Since diamonds are very rich in Namibia, people say that if you dig up one of these trees you will get diamonds in your lifetime, but since these trees are blessed nobody wants to dig them up.

 Subspecies and taxonomy


The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families currently recognizes three subspecies, A. dichotoma subsp. dichotoma, A. dichotoma subsp. pillansii and A. dichotoma subsp. ramosissima.

These are also treated as three separate species, A. dichotoma, A. pillansii and A. ramosissima, which are then grouped within the Dracoaloe subsection of the genus Aloe. All inhabit the same arid areas of the Richtersveld and the Namib Desert around the South African-Namibian border. Treated as separate species, the three have been given different ratings on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: 'vulnerable' for A. dichotoma, 'critically endangered' for A. pillansii and 'endangered' for A. ramossisima.

The three subspecies can be distinguished. In A. dichotoma subsp. pillansii, the inflorescences hang from below the lowest leaves, rather than growing erect. A. dichotoma subsp. ramosissima is considerably smaller - rarely reaching more than 2 m in height - and assumes a more shrub-like shape. While there is a gradation between tree-like dichotoma and the shrubby ramosissima, the relatively unique pillansii population is separated by a different flowering time and therefore does not interbreed with the other two subspecies.