Christmas bush
Psorospermum febrifugum

Family: Hypericaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 4 m high. It has many branches. The bark is often corky and peels off. The stems can be round and smooth or angular and hairy. The leaves are leathery. The fall off during the year. The leaf blade is 11 cm long by 8 cm wide but is often much smaller. They have a rusty coating underneath. The flowering shoots are on the ends of branches. The petals are white with dark red streaks. The fruit is a bright red berry. It is 10 mm across. The seeds are 5 mm long. The plant is very variable.

Also put in the family Clusiaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in savannah in West Africa. It grows in open deciduous woodland. It grows between 15-1,950 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten raw.

The fruit are especially eaten by children. Fruit are sold locally.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

In Tanzania fruit are collected in November and December. In Central African Republic fruit have been recorded in July.

Its other names

Local names

Da-aahugmo, Gapococo, Kalijenge, Katumbi, Kihibihibi, Kisokosoko, M'tsilote, Mchakwe, Mfwifwi, Mofere, Mumhinu, Munyamharadzi, Muparadsamusha, Murima, Musvasva, Nyobalia, Owegba, Sowike, Tchapue, Tiku, Umchithamuzi, Umukubagwa, Wanzokoroma

Synonyms

Psorospermum albidum (Oliv.) Engl.; Psorospermum campestre Engl.; Psorospermum febrifugum var. albidum Oliv.; Psorospermum ferrugineum Hook. f.; Psorospermum stuhlmannii Engl.;