Box leaf condalia
Condalia buxifolia
Family: Rhamnaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 3-5 m high. It is very spiny. The young branches are 1-7 cm long with many short buds and a spine at the tip. The crown is dense. The trunk is short and 15-25 cm across. The bark is grey and splitting and flaking off. The leaves are simple. The leaf blade is oval and 2-3 cm long by 1 cm wide. The flowers are in groups of 2-10 and are greenish yellow.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in mixed humid forest and grassland in Brazil. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,100 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (country/location of origin), Paraguay, South America, Uruguay, Venezuela
How it is used for food
The fruit are eaten fresh. They are also dried and boiled.
Edible parts
Fruit, fruit - drink
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seeds. Seeds can be collected from ripe fruit by shaking the fruiting branches onto canvas and the fruit are then put into plastic bags to allow them to partly decompose so that the seeds can be washed out with running water. Seeds should be planted while fresh. They should be planted with light shade. Seedlings emerge in 60-80 days.
Plants grow slowly.
Its other names
Local names
Coronilha-folha-de-buxo, Piquillin, Yana yana