Wild citrus, Mozambique cherry orange
Citropsis daweana

Family: Rutaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It has many stems. It grows 6 m tall. The bark is grey. The young branches have a dense woolly covering. There are slender, rigid green thorns in the axils of leaves. They are 1-3 cm long. The leaves have leaflets along the talk and one at the end. The leaves are 4-6 cm long. They have a citrus smell when crushed. The leaf stalk has wings. The leaflets are narrow and 2-5 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. They are green with fine grey hairs. The flowers are in an unbranched spray. The fruit is a round berry with a rough skin. They are red-brown when ripe. They are 1.5 cm across. They are edible but sticky.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows on Kalahari sands and along river banks. It grows in hot arid places. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall above 550 mm. It grows between 900-1,100 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as a dessert fruit.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Mudove, Mukiki, Nzani

Synonyms

Harperethusa villosa Tanaka;