Grewia similis

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 3 m high. It can be a climber growing 9 m high. The bark is smooth and grey brown. It becomes rougher with age. The leaves are broadly oval and 5 cm long. They are glossy green above. The tip can be rounded or notched. There are teeth along the edge. There are 3 veins from the base. The young shoot are hairy. The flowers are red or pink. The anthers are yellow. The flowers are 2 cm across. There are 3-6 flowers in a group at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves. The fruit are fleshy berries. They are green but turn orange then red as they ripen. The fruit have 4 lobes and each lobe is about 5 mm across. The ripe fruit is 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. It grows in bush and grassland but not in dry areas. It grows between 600-2,200 m above sea level in East Africa. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burundi, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

How it is used for food

The pounded leaves are used as a dry season leafy green. The ripe fruit are eaten raw as a snack.

The fruit are especially eaten by children. Fruit are sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

In Tanzania fruit are collected from April to June.

Its other names

Local names

Aroya, Aroyo, Chomisiat, Ebitiwosing, Ekeli, Gajagi, Irri, Mkole, Mkoma, Mloga, Mnangu, Mudura, Muduruduru, Muherigendi, Mutuba, Mutuva, Mutuya, Ol-neligwat, Saski, Tondinwa, Umukomagore

Synonyms

Grewia chlorophila K. Schum.; Grewia coerulea K. Schum.;