Thorny elm
Chaetachme aristata

Family: Ulmaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It can be scrambling or spreading. It can grow to 13 m tall. The branches are drooping. They zigzag. The bark is smooth and grey. The twigs can have spines at the end and in the leaf axils. The leaves are 3-9 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They are oval and tape to the tip. There is a bristle as the end. They are dark green and shiny above and paler underneath. The flower groups are 5-15 mm long and greenish-cream. There are small bracts under them. The fruit is green but turns yellow or orange as it ripens. It is oval and 35 mm long by 20 mm wide.

There is only one Chaetacme species. Also put in the family Celtidaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows at low to medium altitudes in mixed evergreen forest. In Malawi it grows between 600-1,300 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Bosquiea spinosa Engl.; Chaetacme aristata var. longifolia Engl. ex de Wild. & T. Durand; Chaetacme madagascariensis Bak.; Chaetacme microcarpa Rendle; Chaetacme nitida Planch. & Harv.; Chaetacme serrata Engl.;