Antidesma venosum E.Mey. ex Tul.

A spreading shrub or small evergreen tree, sometimes straggling, 1–9(–15) m. tall, many-or single-stemmed and sometimes with drooping branches; bark fibrous, fairly smooth to lightly fissured, flaking or roughened, grey-brown; wood hard, white or pale brown.. Twigs sparingly lenticellate; buds ferruginous-tomentose; young shoots sparingly pubescent to densely fulvous-or ferruginous-tomentose.. Leaves: petioles 3–7(–10) mm. long, evenly to densely pubescent or tomentose; blades elliptic-obovate to oblong-oblanceolate, (1.5–)3–10(–17) cm. long, (1–)2–5(–9) cm. wide, rounded, obtuse, subacute or shortly obtusely acuminate at apex, rounded or rounded-cuneate or sometimes cuneate at base, chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, lateral nerves 6–8(–9) pairs, camptodromous to weakly brochidodromous, impressed above, prominent beneath, evenly pubescent along the midrib but otherwise glabrous or sparingly pubescent and glabrescent above, sparingly pubescent to densely fulvous-or ferruginous-tomentose beneath, light to dark green and shiny above, paler and dull beneath.. Stipules simple, narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 4–8 mm. long, rarely longer, entire, evenly to densely pubescent or tomentose.. Male inflorescences pendent, compoundly spicate, usually with 1–2 lateral spikes at the base, (4–)7–10(–12) cm. long, peduncles and axis sparingly to densely pubescent or tomentose; bracts ovate, 0.5 mm. long, evenly pubescent.. Male flowers: calyx 0.5–1 mm. long, sparingly to evenly pubescent, (3–)4(–5)-lobed, the lobes somewhat unequal, subacute or obtuse, ciliate-pubescent, greenish white or yellowish, sometimes tinged reddish or brownish; disc (3–)4(–5)-lobed, the lobes enveloping the filaments, subglabrous; stamens (3–)4(–5), filaments 2 mm. long, anthers 0.5 mm. long, yellow; pistillode hemispherical-cylindric, 0.5 mm. high, sparingly pubescent.. Female inflorescences usually erect or held laterally, sometimes pendent, compoundly spicate, usually with 1–4 lateral spikes in the lower part, but often galled due to the action of a mite and then densely and irregularly paniculate, especially in the upper half, otherwise ± as ♂.. Female flowers: pedicels 0.5–0.8 mm. long, sparingly pubescent; calyx 1 mm. long, suburceolate, otherwise ± as ♂; disc shallowly cupular; ovary somewhat asymmetrically lenticular, 2 mm. long, smooth, glabrous; styles terminal, 2, bifid, 0.75 mm. long, borne on a tumid stylopodium.. Infructescences not elongated.. Fruits 5–7(–8) mm. long (dry), irregularly and coarsely reticulate-rugose when dried, glabrous, dull greenish yellow or whitish at first, later becoming pinkish, reddish, purplish, brownish or almost black when ripe.

A tropical plant. It occurs in coastal bush. It grows naturally in Central and Southern Africa. It needs to be in a frost free area. It can grow in arid places. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in wet grassland savannah. It grows in Miombo woodland. In Tanzania it grows between sea level to 1,200 m above sea level in areas with a rainfall between 700-2,000 mm.

The ripe fruit are eaten fresh, especially by children. The dry shell is removed. The seeds are discarded. The leaves are used to make a drink.

Both male and female fruit are necessary for fruiting. Plants are grown from seeds. The ripe black fruit are harvested from the tree and dried in the shade then sown. Seeds usually germinate in 10-20 days. Seedlings can be transplanted at the 3 leaf stage. It can be cut back and will re-grow. Plants can be grown from root suckers.