Anisophyllea pomifera
Family: Anisophylleaceae
What it is like
An evergreen shrub or tree. It can grow 12 m high. The trunk is 50 cm across. The bark is usually smooth. It peels off in thin scales. Young parts have yellow-brown curly hairs. The leaves are simple, opposite, leathery and shiny above. The leaf blade is 4-8 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They are oval. The flowers are bisexual and have 4-5 flower parts. The petals are white or yellow. The fruit are about 5 cm across and are red. They are edible.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in sandy or rocky soils. It grows between 600-1,600 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia
How it is used for food
The ripe fruit are edible. The pulp is sweet and eaten fresh. The fruit are flavoured like a nectarine. The ripe fruit are also soaked in warm water then squeezed and filtered to make a drink. Sugar in added.
The fruit are sold in local markets.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seeds but seeds germinate poorly. Plants can be grown from root suckers.
In Tamzania fruit are collected from September to December. The fruit are not stored.
Its other names
Local names
Machilikiti, Mahota, Mnemvi, Mnyemvi, Mshindwi, Nsindwi, Umushindwi