View source for Aloidendron dichotomum

{{Short description|Species of tree}}{{Use South African English|date = March 2023}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Quiver tree
| taxon = Aloidendron dichotomum
| image = QuiverTree-Namibia-2015.JPG
| status = VU
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 23 March 2023">{{cite iucn |author=[[South African National Biodiversity Institute]] |date=2022 |title=''Aloidendron dichotomum'' |volume=2022 |page=e.T140661836A140666503 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T140661836A140666503.en |access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref>
| status2 =
| status2_system =
| status2_ref =
| authority = ([[Francis Masson|Masson]]) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm.<ref name=WCSP_487777/>
| range_map2_caption = The distribution of ''Aloidendron dichotomum'' (light blue) in southern Africa
| synonyms = {{Specieslist
   |Aloe dichotoma|Masson
  |Rhipidodendrum dichotomum|(Masson) Willd.
  |Aloe ramosa|Haw.
  |Aloe montana|Schinz
  |Aloe dichotoma ''var.'' montana|(Schinz) A.Berger
  }}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=WCSP_487777/>
| range_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|from=Aloidendron dichotomum range.map}}
| range_map_caption = Aloidendron dichotomum range
{{leftlegend|#0094e8|Extant (resident)}}
| range_map2 = The Tree Aloes of Southern Africa - Aloidendron.png
}}

'''''Aloidendron dichotomum''''', formerly '''''Aloe dichotoma''''', the '''quiver tree''' or '''kokerboom''', is a tall, branching species of [[succulent plant]], indigenous to [[Southern Africa]], specifically in the [[Northern Cape]] province of [[South Africa]], and parts of Southern [[Namibia]].

==Naming==

Known as ''choje'' to the indigenous [[San people]], the quiver tree gets its English common name from the San people practice of hollowing out the tubular branches of ''Aloidendron dichotomum'' to form [[quiver]]s for their [[arrow]]s. The specific epithet ''"dichotomum"'' refers to how the stems repeatedly branch into two ("[[dichotomous branching|dichotomous]]" branching) as the plant grows.<ref name="SANBI">{{cite web |title=Aloidendron dichotomum |url=http://pza.sanbi.org/aloidendron-dichotomum |website=PlantZAfrica |publisher=South African National Biodiversity Institute |access-date=1 February 2023}}</ref> This species was moved to the genus ''[[Aloidendron]]'' as ''Aloidendron dichotomum'' in 2013.<ref name="GRACE">{{cite journal |last1=Grace |first1=O.M. |last2=Klopper |first2=R.R. |last3=Smith |first3=G.F. |title=A revised generic classification for Aloe (Xanthorrhoeaceae subfam. Asphodeloideae) |journal=Phytotaxa |date=2013 |volume=76 |issue=1 |pages=7–14 |doi=10.11646/phytotaxa.76.1.2 |s2cid=86065738 |url=https://www.biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/view/phytotaxa.76.1.2/111 |access-date=1 February 2023|hdl=2263/58378 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

==Related species==
Three separate species, ''A. dichotomum'', ''[[Aloidendron pillansii|A. pillansii]]'' and ''[[Aloidendron ramosissimum|A. ramosissimum]]'' inhabit the same arid areas of the [[Richtersveld]] and the [[Namib Desert]] around the South African-Namibian border. The three have been given different ratings on the [[IUCN Red List|IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]]: 'vulnerable' for ''A. dichotomum'', 'critically endangered' for ''A. pillansii'' and 'endangered' for ''A. ramossisimum''.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

The three species can be distinguished as follows: In ''A. pillansii'', the [[inflorescence]]s hang from below the lowest leaves, rather than growing erect. ''A. ramosissimum'' is considerably smaller—rarely reaching more than 2&nbsp;m in height—and assumes a more shrub-like shape. While there is a gradation between tree-like ''A. dichotomum'' and the shrubby ''A. ramosissimum'', the relatively unique ''A. pillansii'' population is separated by a different flowering time and therefore does not interbreed with the other two species.<ref name=Court2010>{{Cite book |last=Court |first=D. |year=2010 |title=Succulent Flora of Southern Africa |location=Cape Town |publisher=Struik Nature |isbn=978-1-77007-587-0 }}</ref>

==Distribution and conservation==
One of the few examples of spontaneous forests of ''A. dichotomum'' is the [[Quiver Tree Forest]], about 14&nbsp;km north of [[Keetmanshoop]], in [[Namibia]]. Another is located in the Northern Cape of South Africa at Gannabos.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

Throughout much of its range this species is in decline. Modelling of ''Aloidendron dichotomum'' in [[South Africa]] and [[Namibia]] has contributed to understanding the needs of protected areas in response to climate change. Modelled range declines in this species due to climate change have recently been confirmed by field surveys.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Foden |first1=Wendy |author-link=Wendy Foden |last2=Midgley |first2=Guy F. |last3=Hughes |first3=Greg |last4=Bond |first4=William J. |last5=Thuiller |first5=Wilfried |last6=Hoffman |first6=M. Timm |last7=Kaleme |first7=Prince |last8=Underhill |first8=Les G. |last9=Rebelo |first9=Anthony |display-authors=8|year=2007 |title=A changing climate is eroding the geographical range of the Namib Desert tree ''Aloe'' through population declines and dispersal lags |journal=Diversity and Distributions |volume=13 |issue=5 |pages=645–653 |url=http://www4.nau.edu/direnet/publications/publications_f/files/Foden-2007.pdf |accessdate=16 July 2011 |name-list-style=amp |doi=10.1111/j.1472-4642.2007.00391.x|s2cid=53662810 }}</ref>

==Cultivation==
''Aloidendron dichotomum'' is cultivated in arid areas around the world, for use in landscaping.  The slow growth rate and relative rarity of the plant make it a particularly expensive specimen. It is also relatively difficult to keep outside of its natural habitat.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

In cultivation it requires extremely well-drained coarse mineral sand (preferably with some loam and bone meal to keep it active and growing), full sun, good aeration and extremely little water - primarily in the winter (as it mainly occurs in winter rainfall desert areas). In the (rare) event that it is under-watered, the leaves will curl up and die off at the tips; this is not fatal, but indicates that it is relatively dry.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

It is unusually prone to aphids and insect infections in between its leaves, and this is exacerbated whenever there is not full sun and constant fresh air movement. Indoor plants require frequent treatment for these pests. Fungicide can be added occasionally, to protect the plant from rot.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

It can be propagated from seed and (with more difficulty) from cuttings or truncheons. Cuttings need to be thoroughly dried for several weeks in a shaded area before being planted.<ref name="SANBI"/>

==In popular culture==
Michael Benson's book ''Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece'' (2018) briefly discusses how the kokerboom piqued the interest of film director, [[Stanley Kubrick]]. The book claims that several protected kokerboom trees were cut down so they could be used to film ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Benson |first=Michael |url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Space-Odyssey/Michael-Benson/9781501163944 |title=Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece |date=2019-04-23 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |isbn=978-1-5011-6394-4 |pages=277 |language=en}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="120px">
Image:Áloe-aljaba (Aloe dichotoma), parque nacional de Namib-Naukluft, Namibia, 2018-08-05, DD 39.jpg|Quiver tree in the [[Namib-Naukluft National Park]], Namibia.
Image:Aloe dichotoma in Phoenix.jpg|In bloom.
Image:Köcherbaum Köcherbaumwald 01.JPG|Quiver tree in southern Namibia.
Image:Aloe-dichotoma-young-time-comparison.jpg|Growth of a young plant from May to August.
Image:Koecherbaum Fish River Canyon anagoria.JPG|Quiver tree at Fish River Canyon, Namibia.
<br>
Image:Köcherbaumwald-01.jpg|Quiver Tree Forest near Keetmanshoop, Namibia, in the evening.
Image:Kokerboom.jpg|[[Sociable Weaver]] (''Philetairus socius'') nest in a Quiver tree. Northern Cape, South Africa.
Image:Kokerboom in flower.jpg|Quiver tree in flower in the Augrabies National Park, South Africa.
Image:Kokerboom flowers.jpg|The flowers of the Quiver tree in May. Augrabies National Park, South Africa.
Image:Doleritfelsen und Köcherbäume.jpg|Quiver trees and [[Dolerite]] rocks near [[Keetmanshoop]].
Quiver-Tree-Bark.JPG|Close-up photo of bark on a quiver tree.
</gallery>

==See also==
* ''[[Aloidendron barberae]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=WCSP_487777>{{cite web |title=''Aloidendron dichotomum''|work=[[World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]] |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |url=http://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=487777 |accessdate=16 October 2017}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Aloe dichotoma}}
* [http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Asphodelaceae/Aloe_dichotoma.html Desert-tropicals.com profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510232251/http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Asphodelaceae/Aloe_dichotoma.html |date=2017-05-10 }}
* [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/aloedichotoma.htm PlantZAfrica.com profile]
* {{AfricanPlants|Aloidendron dichotomum}}

{{Taxonbar|from1=Q42729505|from2=Q161263}}

[[Category:Asphodeloideae]]
[[Category:Flora of the Cape Provinces]]
[[Category:Flora of Namibia]]
[[Category:Trees of South Africa]]
[[Category:Garden plants of Southern Africa]]
[[Category:Ornamental trees]]