Red milkwood, Silvery milkwood
Manilkara discolor

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 6-18 m tall. It has a straight clean trunk 60 cm across. The bark is rough and light coloured. The young growth often has red hairs. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are crowded near the tips of branches. The leaves are green above and have silvery hairs underneath. Leaves are large and oblong. The base is narrowed. The leaves are 2.5-10 cm long by 1.3-4 cm wide. The midrib is raised below. The leaf stalks are sturdy and red. The flowers are in groups in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are yellow. The fruit are 1.3 cm across. The fruit are round and yellow turning apricot. They have a juicy pulp. The seed is oval, pale and flattened. The fruit is edible.

There are about 75 Manilkara species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows over a wide range of altitudes from sea level to 2000 m in evergreen forest. It grows in lowland forests in well-drained dry sands. 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, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. The seeds are discarded.

The fruit are popular. It is a commonly used fruit in Mozambique. The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit, flowers, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

In Tanzania fruit are collected from July to November.

Its other names

Local names

Forest milkberry, Inheua, Manematfole, Masematfole, Mgama, Mgamba, Mghambo, Mkwichimbo, Muapo, Muraita, Nheu:a, Nhuebe, Nhueva, Nueve, Regisi, Tineve, Tinguele, Umcwebe, Umnweba

Synonyms

Labourdonnaisia discolor Sond.; Labourdonnaisia sericea Benth.; Eichleria discolor (Sond.) Hartog; Manilkara natalensis Pierre; Mimusops altissima Engl.; Manilkara altissima (Engl.) H. J. Lam.; Mimusops buchananii Engl.; Mimusops discolor (Sond.) Hartog; Mimusops natalensis (Pierre) Engl.; Mahea natalensis Pierre; Murriea discolor (Sond.) Hartog;