Crooked false medlar, Rhodesian wild medlar
Vangueriopsis lanciflora

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A small spreading tree. It often loses its leaves during the year. It grows up to 12 m tall. The trunk can be 25 cm across. The bark is red or grey. The leaves are simple and opposite. They are 9-15 cm long by 5 cm wide. They are oblong. The leaves are much paler underneath. The young shoots are covered with rusty red hairs. The flower buds can be 2.5 cm long and are velvety. The flowers are yellow and the slender hairy petals bend backwards. The flowers are in dense clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are round and lopsided. They are 2.5-4 cm long. They are yellow when ripe and contain 1 or 2 seeds. The fruit are edible.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It occurs in woodland and wooded grassland. It is often associated with rocky outcrops. It grows in hot arid places. It grows between 900-1,370 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It grows in lowland forests. It grows in Miombo woodland.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. They are sweetest when very ripe and are usually left in the sun for a few days to soften.

The fruit is dry with a sweet sour flesh.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

It can be grown from seeds. It can easily be grown from cuttings or large sections of branches.

In Tanzania ripe fruit are collected from October to December.

Its other names

Local names

False wild medlar, Maululu, Mgelelya, Mmupudu, Mngesenya, Msambalawe-lulenga, Mufilu, Mukolobondo, Mumbole, Mumonsomonso, Mungelelya, Musole, Mutufu, Umthofu

Synonyms

Plectronia lanciflora Benth. et Hook.; Canthium lanciflorum Hiern; Canthium platyphyllum Hiern; Vangueria lateritia Dinter;