Climbing turkey-berry
Keetia gueinzii

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A shrub which is often a scrambler or small tree. It can reach 10 m in height. The bark is dark and almost black. The branches are long and trailing. There are several pairs of wide spreading leaves. The leaves are oblong with a square or heart shaped base. The leaves are oval and 11 cm long by 5 cm wide. They are dark green. There are hairs along the veins especially underneath. The base is lobed. The leaf stalk is 5 mm long. The flowers are in loose clusters. These are in the axils of leaves with branching stalks. The flowers are white and cone shaped. The flowers are cream and have a sweet smell. They occur in heads in the axils of leaves. The fruit can be single or have 2 lobes. They are 1 cm long by 1.4 cm wide. They occur in dense clusters. They are dark when mature. The fruit are edible.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows on the edges of forests and in most types of woodland. It grows between 800-2,200 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as a snack.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Achokra, Anyuka, Cheplekwelet, Cheblekwil, Climbing canthium, Gcupe, Jilekwelet, Lekweliet, Lusesbi, Lukonsongabu, Mokilokwa, Mti-ndapo, Mudanhanashoko, Mugokoma, Mugugu, Mugunguma, Munyunzu, Rangwekuot, Sinwati, Ugcupe

Synonyms

Canthium charadrophilum (K. Krause) Bullock; Canthium gueinzii Sonder; Canthium scabrosum Bullock; Canthium sylvaticum sensu Bullock; Keetia gueinzii von Breitenbach; Keetia transvaalensis E. Phillips, pro parte; Plectronia charadrophila K. Krause; Plectronia gueinzii (Sond.) Sim; Plectronia hispida sensu K. Schum.; Plectronia subcordatifolia De Wild.;