Robson Gymonosporia buxifolia Gymnosporia heterophylla, the common spike-thorn, is a small, hardy, deciduous African tree up to 5m tall, occurring in rocky places with a wide distribution from Ethiopia, the Sudan and the Congo, south to the Cape Province and west to Angola and Namibia, as well as the neighbouring islands of Madagascar and Saint Helena, with a closely related species from Mauritius.

It has a straggly, but rigid habit and is armed with sharp straight thorns up to 100mm long, which are modified branches.

The tree is dioecious, and clusters of white flowers are produced in profusion in spring and are borne on thicker twigs and branches.

The flowers have a fetid, faecal smell and attract large numbers of pollinating insects, particularly carrion-loving flies such as members of the family Calliphoridae.

Since then it has been named ellipticus, heterophyllus, spathephyllus, empleurifolius, rhombifolius, parvifolius and buxifolioides - it would seem that the epithet heterophylla is appropriate.