Thicket lemon-rope
Salacia erecta

Family: Celastraceae

What it is like

A shrub. The branches can be climbing. It grows to 5-8 m tall. The stems are angular. The leaves are opposite or alternate on climbing branches. The leaves are green but more pale underneath. They are 5-11 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They are oval and taper at the tip. There are 1-5 flowers in a group in the axils of leaves. The fruit are orange and are 3 lobed but become round with age. They are 2-3 cm across. There are 1-3 seeds.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows from 50-1,700 m above sea level. It is an understorey tree in the forest.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Tropical Africa, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Calypso erecta G. Don; Salacia alpestris A. Chev. ex Hutch & Dalz.; Salacia cornifolia Hook. f.;