Mountain Quar, Quar, Black alder, Pioneer canthium
Psydrax obovata

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

A tree. It can be a shrub or grow to 15 m tall. In coastal sand dunes it is gnarled and twisted. It can have a stem up to 46 cm across. Old trunks are black, rough and ribbed. The leaves are simple and opposite. They are 1.5-5 cm long and sword shaped. The base is narrowed. The edges are rolled inwards. Leaves are dark green and shiny above and paler and duller underneath. The flowers are small and green. They have a sweet scent. They occur in many-flowered bunches in the axils of leaves. The fruit are small and green. They become black when ripe. They are 6 mm across. They have 1-2 seeds. The fruit are edible.

Var. elliptica in Zimbabwe.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It occurs in coastal and inland forest. On coastal dunes it can be dwarfed and twisted.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as a snack.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Umvutfwamini

Synonyms

Canthium obovatum Klotzsch ex Eckl. & Zeyh.; Plectronia obovata (Klotzsch ex Eckl. & Zeyh.) Sim; Mitrastigma lucidum Harv.; Phallaria lucida Hochst.;