Berchemia zeyheri (Sond.) Grubov

Species

Angiosperms > Rosales > Rhamnaceae > Berchemia

Characteristics

A bushy tree. It can grow up to 12 m tall. The trunk can be 36 cm across. The crown is round and leafy. The leaves are simple and opposite. They are 2.5-4 cm long. They are bright green when young and grey-green when mature. The flowers are small and pale green. They can occur singly or in small groups on long slender stalks in the axils of leaves. The fruit are smooth. They are oval and 0.6-1.3 cm long. They are widest at the base and pointed. They are green but turn yellow or red when mature. There is a thin layer of flesh around a 2 seeded kernel. They are edible.
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Leaves usually opposite or subopposite, glabrous; lamina 12–40(60) × 6–25 mm., elliptic to ovate, entire; midrib prominent beneath; lateral nerves 5–6, extending to the leaf-margin and prominent beneath; petiole 1–3 mm. long, channelled above.
Tree 6–8(12) m. high, with rough grey bark; branches spreading; young branchlets puberulous.
Drupe 6–9 × 3 mm., ellipsoid, with yellow edible flesh surrounding the 2-seeded kernel.
Disk cupular, not enveloping the ovary, margin notched above insertion of filaments.
Flowers 1–4(6) in leaf-axils; pedicels slender, 4–14 mm. long.
Petals 2 mm. long, obovate, cucullate, often emarginate.
Ovary free from disk; style 1·5–3 mm. long, 2-fid.
Sepals 2 mm. long, deltate, glabrous.
Flower bud globose, 2 mm. in diam.
Stamens 1·5–2 mm. long.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 12.0
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Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows on stony hillsides. It grows at medium and low altitudes in South Africa. It is drought resistant. It can only tolerate light frosts. It can grow in arid places.
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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

The fruit are eaten raw. The fruit are collected and stored in baskets where they form a solid brown sugary mass. They are dried and ground and used with grains for porridge. They can be used for jam, juice and sweets.
Uses food gene source material medicinal
Edible fruits
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Cultivation

Plants can be grown from fresh seed. Ripe fruit are collected from a tree and the flesh removed then the seeds planted. Seeds germinate in 5-9 days. Seedlings can be transplanted at the 2 leaf stage.
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Images

Berchemia zeyheri unspecified picture

Distribution

Berchemia zeyheri world distribution map, present in Botswana, Mozambique, eSwatini, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Berchemia zeyheri threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:716733-1
WFO ID wfo-0000564199
COL ID LKHW
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Berchemia zeyheri Rhamnus zeyheri Phyllogeiton zeyheri