Characteristics
A woody climbing shrub. It can be spiny. The leaves are simple and alternate. The leaves are sword shaped and 4-14 cm long by 1-5 cm wide. The leaf underneath is covered with a silvery white coat. The flowers can occur singly or in clusters. The fruit are pear shaped. They are yellow when ripe and covered with copper coloured scales. The fruit are 1 cm long. They have one large seed.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
shrub
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
entomogamy
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
-
|
| 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 can grow in acid soils low in nutrients. The soil needs to be well-drained. It can tolerate drought.
| Light |
|
| Soil humidity |
|
| Soil texture |
|
| Soil acidity |
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
-
|
Usage
The ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also used for jam. The unripe fruit are very sour and used for pickles.
Cultivation
Plants can be grown by seed. The seed can be slow to germinate. Given the seed some warm treatment for 4 weeks then cold treatment for 12 weeks helps improve germination. Plants can be grown from large currings.
| Mode |
cuttings
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
140 - 180
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
10 - 18
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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