Lowveld milkberry
Manilkara mochisia

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree up to 4.5 m tall. It can grow to 15 m high. It loses its leaves during the year. The small branches are crooked and zigzag shaped. The leaves occur in tufts on knobbly side branches near the tips of branches. The leaves are oblong and hard and smooth. The tip is rounded and the base tapered. Leaves are 1.5-6 cm long by 0.7-2.8 cm wide. They are dull green. The leaf stalks are short. The flowers are small and yellow. They have a sweet smell. Flowers are either single or in clusters in the axils where leaves have fallen. The fruit are oval and 1.3 cm long. They are yellow when ripe. Fruit are edible. The seed is flattened and brown. It is paler at the base and has a scar on one side.

There are about 75 Manilkara species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in the bushveld often on termite mounds. In Kenya it grows in dry deciduous woodland. In Kenya it grows from sea level to 1,400 m altitude. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 200-1,270 mm. It can grow in weakly salty soils. It cannot tolerate frost. It can tolerate drought. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. The seeds are discarded. The fruit are also used for jam and jelly. They can be dried.

It is an attractive fruit. It has commercial potential.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds. It can be cut back and will re-grow.

In Tanzania fruit are collected between April to June.

Its other names

Local names

Cipuwe, Kinako, Kisaa, Laeveldmelkbessie, Mghambo, Mkonze, Mkunya, Mkwachu, Mnago, Msama, Msema, Mucisa, Munago, Munambu, Mwakala, Mwambo, N'uwambo, Nago, Ngambo, Nkonze, Nwambu, Umcambelo, Wanaay, Warendi

Synonyms

Manilkara densiflora Dale; Manilkara macaulayae (Hutch. & Corb.) H.J. Lam.; Manilkara umbraculigera (Hutch. & Corbishley) H. J. Lam.; Mimusops mochisia Bak.;