Northern African dog-rose
Oncoba tettensis var. kirkii

Family: Salicaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows 1-5 m tall. The bark is grey with long grooves. The leaves are alternate and clustered onto side shoots. They are a wide oval shape. They are 6-11 cm long and wider at the tip. The flowers appear just after the new leaves. They can appear in groups of 1-3 in the axils of leaves or at the ends of small branches. They have a sweet scent. The fruit is an oval or round capsule. It is black and 3-4 cm across. It has a hard pointed tip. The seeds are yellow to brown.

It has been put in the family Flacourtiaceae and Salicaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the lowland. In Tanzania it grows between sea level to 600 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania

How it is used for food

The pulp of the ripe fruit is eaten raw. The seeds are discarded.

Edible parts

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

In Tanzania the ripe fruit are collected from November to January.

Its other names

Local names

Mchekaucha, Mchekwa, Mchemka, Mkekwa, Mkwema, Mlimia mbopo, Mnywanywa, Mripuripu, Mseka, Msekasekai, Njaunabonde

Synonyms

Oncoba kirkii Oliv.; Xylotheca tettensis var. kirkii (Oliv.) Willd.;