Maytenus is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Australasia, the Indian Ocean and Africa. They grow in a very wide variety of climates, from tropical to subpolar.

Maytenus deflexa, synonymously known as Gymnosporia deflexa and commonly known as Forest Kokotree, is a South African endemic species found in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. It occurs in forests, wooded kloofs, and on riverbanks. Sporadically, throughout the year it produces diminutive cream to yellow flowers. It is well suited to shady areas of the garden.