Butter berry, Orange bird cherry
Hoslundia opposita

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A herb or shrub. It is much branched and can be creeping. It is slightly woody. It grows 3.5 m tall. It has an aroma. The leave are opposite and narrow oval. They are 5 cm long by 3 cm wide. They have slight teeth along the edge. The flowers are yellowish-green and in groups at the ends of branches. The flowers are 3 mm long. The fruit are small and orange-yellow. They are 6 mm across. It contains 2-3 nutlets. The fruit are edible.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in secondary and forest savannah in West Africa. It grows in hot arid places with a marked dry season. It grows in rocky soils. It can tolerate shade. In Kenya it grows from sea level to 2,000 m altitude. It is areas with a rainfall of 650-1,000 mm per year. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial-Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The pulp of the ripe fruit is eaten fresh and raw. The leaves are also cooked and eaten and also used for tea.

The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit, vegetable, leaves, leaves - tea, flowers

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.

The fruit are usually found soon after the rainy season. In Central African Republic plants have been recorded flowering in November.

Its other names

Local names

Aluluisinmo, Amalilibhobo, Anikan gbiju, Apurumur, Arauanya, Asifuaka, Buinite, Chamzi, Chinyeu, Edudu, Emalilwane, Emayiwane, Etapukon, Etuutuu, Hwahwa-hweshiri, Kabushuie, Kamunye, Lisho, Mather, Matlarimo, Mdahamwitu, Mjongolo, Mlanyuni, Mpingu, Mshwee, Mteremtere, Mtserere, Mtundanyanya, Muchururu, Musabi, Museremberi, Musovi, Musovasovi, Mutserere, Mutsereza-moyo, Muvuvudzi, Nhambairam-keo, Nhambairam-que-o, Njode, Nuguhway, Opote, Ovungele, Segenata, Timwarwarsha, Tshivhuvhudzi, Tutu, Umbovana, Umlilwane, Utshwala-benyoni, Yatajwoka, Zinyamesane

Synonyms

Clerodendrum micranthum Gilli; Hoslundia decumbens Benth.; Hoslundia oppositifolia P. Beauv.; Hoslundia opposita var. decumbens; Hoslundia verticillata Vahl; Micranthes menthoides Bertol.; Orthosiphon physocalycinus A. Rich.;