Bark bush, Tannin bush
Osyris lanceolata

Family: Santalaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows about 3-6 m high. The branches are slender and 3 sided. They hang down. The leaves have short stalks. They are alternate and 2-7 cm long by 05.-3 cm wide. They are oval. The tip tapers. The flowers are stalked. They are small and greenish. The fruit is fleshy with a hard covering over the seed. The fruit is nearly round. It is orange when ripe.

There are 6-7 Osyris species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Nepal it grows between 900-2500 m altitude. In China it grows in thickets between 600-2700 m altitude in S China. In India it grows on the shady slopes of pine forest between 1000-1500 m altitude. It is often on limestone. In Thailand it grows between 1,000-2,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Central Africa, China, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Himalayas, Kenya, India, Indochina, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, SE Asia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are steamed, dried in the shade, then used for tea. The bark is also used for tea. The ripe fruit is eaten raw. The seed is not eaten.

The fruit are eaten by children as an emergency food.

Edible parts

Leaves - tea, bark - tea, root - tea, fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Fruit are available throughout the year but most common from July to December.

Its other names

Local names

Baingani, Bakandhama, Bakhre khursani, Bakraja, Bakroli, Bakrolya, Baksol, Bergbas, Dalmi, Dalmia, Jhuri, Kithawa, Kizulu, Kuriganda, Lotal, Mdunula, Mzulu, Num nugi, Olosesiae, Popli, Sha zhen, Sundaravalli, Tunqa, Wato

Synonyms

Osyris abyssinica Hochst. ex A. Rich.; Osyris arborea Wall. ex DC; Osyris arborea var. rotundifolia P. C. Tam; Osyris arborea var. stipitata Lecomte; Osyris densifolia PETER; Osyris laeta PETER; Osyris nepalensis Griff.; Osyris oblanceolata PETER; Osyris parvifolia Baker; Osyris quadripartita Salzm. ex Decne.; Osyris rigissima Engl.; Osyris tenuifolia Engl.; Osyris urundiensis De Wild.; Osyris wightiana Wall. ex Wight; Osyris wightiana var. rotundifolia (P. C. Tam) P. C. Tam; Osyris wightiana var. stipitata (Lecomte) P. C. Tam;