Tree-violet, Violet tree
Securidaca longipendunculata

Family: Polygalaceae

What it is like

A small tree. It grows up to 6-10 m high. The trunk is twisted. The bark is light grey and smooth. The leaves are alternate or clustered on small side branches. They are simple and vary in size and shape. They are oval. They are 1-5 cm long by 0.5-2 cm wide. The flowers are small. They are 10 mm long. They are pink or purple. They are on long stalks. They occur in sprays at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves. The sprays are 3-5 cm long. The flowers have a strong smell. The fruit are a more or less round nut. It has a wing around it. The fruit is purplish-green when young and pale brown when mature. They are 12 mm across with a wing 5 cm long and 2.5 cm across.

There are about 80 Securidaca species. It is used in traditional medicine. The roots are poisonous and used for this purpose.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In South Africa it grows from sea level to 1600 m altitude. It grows in various types of bushland. It grows in savannah country. It is often in sandy or rocky soils in moist savannah. It can grow on the edges of mangroves. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 600-1,000 mm. It can tolerate drought. It can grow in arid places. It grows in the Sahel.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young leaves are eaten. They are also used to make an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. CAUTION: The roots are very poisonous.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Seeds do not germinate easily. They should be soaked in water before planting. Seedlings do not transplant well due to a deep taproot. It is best to sow seeds directly where they are to grow.

The tree is slow growing.

Its other names

Local names

Colodi, Djuro, Djutu, Ediol, Epeta, Fudara, Ilila, Jurtu, Jutu, Lilia, Mamampai, Misunda, Mucaca, Mufufuma, Muluka, Mupupo, Nacunhi, Naquehi, Nkama nsunda, Nsunda, Odyer, Sanya, Tiuti, Tsatse, Tsatso, Uli-elo

Synonyms

Lophostylis angustifolia Fresen.; Lophostylis pallida Klotzsch; Securidaca longependunculata Fresen. var. parvifolia Oliv.;