Angolan green-thorn
Balanites angolensis

Family: Zygophyllaceae

What it is like

A spiny shrub. It has a dense covering of leaves but many fall off during the dry season. It grows 5 m tall. The bark is rough and has grooves along it. The young branches are green and have a downy covering. It has straight thorns. They can be 9 cm long. The leaves have 2 leaflets. The leaflets are broadly oval and unequal. They are about 1.5 cm long by 5 mm wide. They are leathery and grey-green. They have a soft covering. The flowers are in clusters of 3-9 in the axils of leaves. The flowers are small and pale green. The fruit is oval and has a stone inside. It is 3 cm long and turns orange when ripe.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It often grows along dry watercourses on the edge of the desert. It grows in hot arid places. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Namibia, Southern Africa

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as a snack.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Omutungambara, Omutunga-mbaram, Omuyere

Synonyms

Balanites welwitschii (Tiegh.) Sands;