Natal milk plum, Natal sweet plum, Forest stem-fruit
Englerophytum natalense

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It can grow to 15 m tall. The branches are horizontal. The trunk can be 50 cm across. The trunk is often fluted. The twigs are smooth, grey and slender. The leaves are sword shaped and slender and taper at both ends. They are 5.5-15 cm long by 1.8-5 cm wide. They are green, smooth and shiny above and silvery grey and finely hairy underneath. There midrib is sunken above and raised below. The twigs and young growth is reddish. The flowers are small and without stalks. They are white or yellow. They occur singly or in two's or three's in the axils of leaves. The fruit are berries. They are 2.5-3.8 cm long. They are red when ripe. The seed is large and oblong. The fruit is edible.

It is high in Vitamin C.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is damaged by frost. It occurs in mixed evergreen forest. It grows below 1,800 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten and is pleasant. It is also used for wine, syrup and jelly.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed.

In Tanzania fruit are collected from April to June.

Its other names

Local names

Emanumbela, Manumbela, Mdulu, duyuyu, Msolo, Muchanja, Muchanzwa, Mutshwanzwa, Mwamba, Tungwane, Umtjongane, Umtomgwami, Umtshongane, Umtungagazane, Umtungwane

Synonyms

Amorphospermum natalense (Sond.) Baehni; Bequaertiodendron natalense (Sond.) Heine; Boivinella natalensis (Sond.) Aubrev. & Pellegr.; Chrysophyllum natalense Sond.; Chrysophyllum kilimandsharicum G. M. Sculze; Pouteria natalensis (Sond.) A. Meeuse;