Characteristics
A shrub or small tree. It grows 1-4 m tall. It can have several stems. These have many branches. The branches are grey. The young twigs have soft hairs. The leaves are alternate and crowded at the ends of branches. They are broadly sword shaped. They are 3-9 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They are olive green above and more pale underneath. The veins are sunken above and raised under the leaf. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. The flowers are in clusters in the axils of the leaves and hang down. The fruit are round and 2 cm across. They contain 1 to 6 seeds.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
shrub
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
| Sexuality |
dioecy
|
| Pollination |
entomogamy
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
1.0 - 4.0
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
It is a subtropical plant. It grows in the understorey on the edges of forests and along river valleys. It can tolerate drought but grows better with moisture. It is cold hardy.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
-
|
Usage
Caution: Reports vary as to how edible the fruit are.
| Uses |
-
|
| Edible
|
fruits
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
| Mode |
-
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
Home