Mountain medlar, Small wild medlar
Vangueria parvifolia

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

It is a small sturdy shrub or small tree. It usually loses its leaves during the year. It grows 3-8 m tall. It is often branched from the base. It has a rounded crown. The branches and twigs are crooked and twisted. The leaves are simple and almost stalkless. They are opposite or in clusters often near the ends of twigs. They are 1.9-3.8 cm long and egg shaped. The tips are rounded but often with a jutting point. The leaves are soft and pale green. The flowers are small, hairy, greenish and bell-shaped. They have 5 spreading lobes. The fruit is round. It is 1.3 cm across. It is green and turns light brown or red. It is edible. There is a stone inside.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in rocky hills. It is in woodland and wooded grassland. It is usually on rocky outcrops.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. They can be dried for future use.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Sikhwakhwane, Small velvet leaf, Umntulu

Synonyms

Canthium parvifolium (Sond.) Baill. [Illegitimate]; Tapiphyllum parvifolium (Sond.) Robyns;