Orange-milk tree
Harungana madagascariensis

Family: Clusiaceae

What it is like

A small to medium sized bushy tree. It grows 4-7 m tall but can be 10-15 m tall. The bark is brown and scaly. It has bright orange paint-like sap. The leaves are opposite and simple. The are oval and 6-20 cm long by 3-10 cm wide. They are glossy dark green above and with rusty red hairs underneath. The young leaves at the tip of the branches keep tightly pressed together. The leaf stalk is 3 cm long. The flowers are cream and 5 mm across. They have a sweet almond scent. They occur in many flowered flat heads. These are 8-20 cm across. The stalks are covered with rusty red hairs. The fruit is berry-like. It is 2-4 mm across. They are greenish-orange becoming deep red. They occur in dense heads up to 25-30 cm across.

There is only one Harungana species. It has medicinal uses. It has also been put in the family Hypericaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows at medium to low altitudes in evergreen forest and along stream banks. It cannot tolerate shade. In tropical Queensland it grows from sea level to 600 m altitude. In Tanzania it grows between sea level and 1,800 m above sea level. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 1,100-1,800 mm. It is often near termite mounds.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Australia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten. It is also used in sauce. They are also used to make an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Berries, seeds, fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. With some difficulty it can be grown from cuttings. These need to be well watered.

In Tanzania the fruit are collected in August to December.

Its other names

Local names

Acanjongra, Alillibar rafi, Binhanhauque, Canho, Chepsebil, Chungala, Elepo, Haronga, Harungana, Kumamaji, Marincazia, Mbura, Mdamudamu, Mgondogondo, Mitchele, Mkekundu, Mkuntu, Mtunu, Mufifi, Muitasoa, Mumyamwe, Muntungulu, Murrumo, Musaki, Musira, Namasahi, Nibale, Okosoa, Po-di-faia, Sumbala, Sungala, Ulieli, Ulielo, Umpate, Umushaayishaatyi, Uomnhe, Utehia, Varnaropa

Synonyms

Haronga paniculata (Pers.) Lodd; Haronga madagascariensis (Lam.) Choisy;