Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family, Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. This genus gets its name from Latin terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves appear at the very tips of the shoots. Trees of this genus are known especially as a source of secondary metabolites, e.g. cyclic triterpenes and their derivatives, flavonoids, tannins, and other aromatics. Some of these substances have antifungal, antibacterial, anti-cancer and hepatoprotective indications.

Terminalia prunioides is found in South Africa’s Lowveld. It grows in clay soils and on stony slopes. It is a small to medium size deciduous tree, with a height of 3 – 7 m. The pungent white flowers often cover the whole tree from spring to late summer. These are followed by striking purple pods hat are present for most of the summer, autumn and winter. The tree has a drooping, spiky appearance, owing to the downward-curving branchlets, irregular branching and side branches that end in spines.