Polysphaeria parvifolia
Family: Rubiaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It is 1-6 m tall. The stems are slender and often with a few short hairs. The side branches arise just above the nodes. The bark is red brown and peels off in long strips. The leaves are opposite and narrowly oval. They are 5-9 cm long. The base is rounded or heart shaped. The flowers are white. They appear with the leaves in small clusters. These do not have stalks and are at the nodes. The fruit are round berries 1 cm across. They are in dense clusters. They become orange red when ripe.
There are about 20 Polysphaeria species. They are in tropical Africa.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in evergreen forest and coastal woodlands. In Tanzania it grows from sea level to 1,400 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania
How it is used for food
The ripe fruit are eaten as a snack.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown by seeds.
In Tanzania fruit are collected from April to June.
Its other names
Local names
Mangi, Mchesi, Mganja, Mkame, Mkanja, Mlapaa, Mmangitovu, Mmangomango, Mrigi, Msamisami, Mtsonga-nyomba, Mumangwe, Muwangwi, Nchakachaka, Nkanja, Nshakashaka, Sasacha