Characteristics
A small succulent shrub or small tree. It is often only 1 m high. The trunk has several branches. The leaves are large and thick and succulent. They are compound leaves and are 30 cm long. They have 3 stiff leaflets. They are blue-green and often trimmed with red. The veins are yellow. The edges of the leaves are toothed and often crinkled. The flowers are small, flat and fleshy. They are greenish-yellow. They are in flat sprays at the ends of branches. They are on upright stalks which are often red. The fruit are grape-like. They are edible but contain oxalates. They are also high in tannic acid.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
|
| Growth support |
free-standing
|
| Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.4 - 0.6
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
|
| Blooming months |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | | Apr | May | Jun | | Jul | Aug | Sep | | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
A tropical plant. It grows in the desert. It occurs in hot, dry rocky areas. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.
| Light |
|
| Soil humidity |
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The fruit are eaten by swallowing whole as they contain oxalates which burn the throat. CAUTION: Oxalates are poisonous and affect the absorption of calcium.
Cultivation
| Mode |
-
|
| Germination duration (days) |
30 - 60
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
21
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
soaking
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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