Margaritaria anomala
Family: Phyllanthaceae
What it is like
A shrub that loses its leaves. It grows 6 m tall. The bark is brown and scaly and comes off in strips. The leaves are alternate or in rings at the ends of the branches. The leaves are simple and entire. The leaves are 3-6 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. There are teeth near the top of the leaf. Plants are separately male and female. The male flowers are in clusters in the axils of leaves. The female flowers occur singly at the ends of young branches. The flowers are yellowish-green. The fruit is round and 6-8 mm across. They are bluish-green and have 4 seeds. The seeds are flat, fleshy and bluish.
There are 13-14 Margaritaria species.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Comoros, East Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Fruit