Hairy gousiemtebossie
Vangueria pygmaea

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A small shrub. It has a woody rootstock and short irregular branches arise from this. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped and 11 cm long by 3 cm wide. They are more pale underneath. The leaves are crowded towards the ends of branches. The flower is a tube with barrow pointed lobes. The fruit is 2.5 cm across.

Where it is found

It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in grassland and sandy soils and on termite mounds between 1,170-2,280 m above sea level. In Swaziland it grows in the high veld only.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as a snack.

The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Imyimandlebe, Mabilofasane, Mmilofasane, Mushisha, Umkhuna, Umkukuzela, Umvimbandlebe

Synonyms

Pachystigma pygmaeum (Schltr.) Robyns; Pachystigma rhodesianum (S. Moore) Robyns; Vangueria nana K. Schum. ex Robyns [Invalid]; Vangueria rhodesiana S. Moore; Vangueria setosa Conrath;