Pink dombeya, Pink wild pear
Dombeya burgessiae

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

An erect shrub. It grows 2-4 m tall. The leaves are bright green and large and hairy. They are alternate and have lobes. The flowers are pink and in clusters. The fruit is a small round furry capsule.

Some Botanists put the Dombeya in the Byttneriaceae and the Sterculiaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in Malawi at about 1,200 m altitude in open grassland. It can grow in dry soil. It can grow in arid places. It is drought tolerant. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa (country/location of origin), Asia, Australia, East Africa, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, SE Asia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The pith is cooked and eaten with other foods. The pith of the fruit is cooked with potash and peanuts.

Edible parts

Stem pith, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Dobeya merah jambu, Mnyangale, Namauli

Synonyms

Assonia burgessiae Kuntze; Assonia calantha Stuntz; Assonia psarmannioides Hiern; Dombeya antunesii Exell & Mendonca; Dombeya auriculata K. Schum.; Dombeya burgessiae var. crenulata Szyszyl.; Dombeya burttii Exell; Dombeya calantha K. Schum.; Dombeya concinna K. Schum.; Dombeya dawei Sprague; Dombeya endlichii Engl. & K. Krause; Dombeya gamwelliae Exell; Dombeya globiflora Staner; Dombeya greenwayi Wild.; Dombeya johnstonii Baker; Dombeya kindtiana De Wild.; Dombeya lasiostylis K. Schum.; Dombeya mastersii Hook. f.; Dombeya nairobensis Engl.; Dombeya nyasica Exell; Dombeya parvifolia K. Schum.; Dombeya platypoda Kuntze; Dombeya rosea Baker f.; Dombeya sparmannioides (Hiern) K. Schum.; Dombeya sphaerantha Gilli; Dombeya tanganyikensis Baker; Dombeya trichoclada Mildbr.; Dombeya velutina De Wild. & Staner;