Donkey berry, Rough leaf raisin, Sandpaper raisin
Grewia flavescens

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A small tree which loses its leaves during the year. It can grow 3-5 m tall. The crown is rounded. It can be a woody climber. It sometimes forms thickets. The stems are angular and form loops. Young branches are hairy. The leaves are oval and 10 cm long by 5 cm wide. There are coarse teeth along the edge and both sides of the leaves are hairy. The tips are pointed. The flowers are bright orange-yellow and star shaped with 5 slender gold petals. They occur in small bunches in the axils of leaves. The fruit are round and 12 mm across. The have slight lobes. They have very small hairs. They become yellow to red. They occur in groups of 4. They are edible.

There are about 200 Grewia species. They are mostly tropical. The fruit of most may be edible. These were in the Sparrmanniaceae and the Tiliaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They grow is dry sands. It grows in the Sahel. They suit hot valley areas. They need a rainfall of more than 300 mm each year. It grows in open woodland often along dry stream beds. It grows between 100-1,525 m above sea level. It is tolerant of drought. It can grow in arid places. It is often on termite mounds. It grows in the lowlands and the highlands. In Tanzania it grows between 800-1,200 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Arabia, Asia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten raw or dried. They can be stored once dried. The dry skin is rubbed off before eating the flesh. The fruit are also used for making an alcoholic drink. The fruit is edible. They are added to porridge in place of sugar.

They are a major food of the Bushmen. The fruit have a pleasant taste.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds do not germinate easily. They can take 3 months to germinate.

The fruit are collected from April to June.

Its other names

Local names

Amrurjii, Daiyta-arba, Dhabi-qurquraale, Elamuruke, Farangan, Goursoumhi, Guedeb, Gugur, Kabayna, Kakose, Kelehi, Laghojane, Lambonjane, Likloko, Mizwilaminzhi, Mkolelupini, Mkozepini, Mokgomphatha, Mopharatshena, Motsotsojana, Mpelemense, Mubhununu, Mubhubhunu, Mufhughuha, Mujonjoma, Muku, Mumbudzi, Mumhudzingwa, Muparatsheni, Muparafeni, Muundu, Nyamuzwila, Odaachu, Oleing'oni, Olmangulai, Omushe, Parhenkal, Phetara, Phunzunyeke, Rupundu, Sountago, Skurwerosyntjie, Tobongo, Ubhunzu, Ubhuxu, Umklampunzi, Umnaba, Umtewa

Synonyms

Grewia aspera Schinz; Grewia carpinifolia Roxb.; Grewia pilosa Lam. ex Poir.; Grewia platyclada K. Schum.; Vinticena flavescens (Juss.) Burret; Grewia guazumifolia A Chev.; Grewia kapieriensis; Grewia retinervis Burr.;