Englerophytum magalismontanum (Sonder) T.D.Penn.

A large tree up to 17 m high when growing in forests but, in its more characteristic form, a shrub, already flowering and fruiting freely when only about 1 m high; innovations and twigs rusty-tomentose. Leaves coriaceous, at first with a white bloom but soon glabrous and green above, rufo-or aureo-tomentose below, becoming greyish or silvery-tomentose, 4-15 cm, sometimes up to 30 cm long, 2-5 cm, sometimes up to 7 cm wide, oblanceolate-cuneate, oblong-obovate, obovate-elliptic or oblong, usually rounded or slightly narrowed, rarely cuneate at the base, emarginate, retuse or obtuse at the apex, sometimes mucronate; midrib impressed above, very prominent below; secondary nerves numerous, slender, usually inconspicuous above, often becoming slightly prominent beneath, patent, at first straight, ascending and curved towards the margin; petioles 6-12 mm, rarely up to 24 mm long; stipules long-subulate, often curved, pubescent, early deciduous. Flowers in few-to many-flowered, sometimes very dense, fascicles, the majority usually on the lower leafless parts of the branches or on older wood on sometimes rather large, raised warts, and fewer, or none, in the leaf axils; bracts 0 or very minute; pedicels densely rufo-tomentose, 2-10 mm long or, rarely, flowers sessile. Calyx 2.5-5 mm long, rusty-tomentose outside; sepals free nearly to the base, often unequal, ovate, obtuse or subacute. Corolla white or whitish, turning reddish or brown, glabrous, up to 2 mm longer than the calyx; tube cylindric-urceolate, 0.5-2 mm, usually 1-1.5 mm long, the lobes spreading, broadly ovate, obtuse or subacute, 2-4.5 mm long and about 2 mm wide. Alternipetalous staminodes 0 or sometimes 1-5, inserted just below the sinuses between the corolla-1obes, much smaller than the latter, scale-like and minute or sometimes petaloid, ovate or suborbicular, more or less irregularly serrate, dentate or incised in the upper half, up to 1.5 mm long and 0.5-1 mm wide. Stamens inserted at the base of the corolla-1obes; filaments 1.5-2 mm long; anthers 1-2 mm long, apiculate; sometimes stamens sterile, staminodial, either resembling a stamen with a filament-like basal portion and a sagittate-cordate broader top, or more irregularly shaped, very rarely lanceolate, petaloid. Ovary globose-ovoid, about 2 mm in diam., densely villous; style glabrous, about 1.5 mm long. Fruit ellipsoid, about 2.5 cm long and 1.8 cm in diam., dark dull-red when ripe, edible, crowned with the persistent style, 1-or sometimes 2-seeded. Seeds of 1-seeded fruits compressed-ovoid, 1.6-2 cm long, 1.4-1.6 cm broad and 0.8-1.1 cm thick; those of 2-seeded fruits with one flattened lateral side; testa light brown, shiny, thin and brittle when dry; scar linear-triangular, ventral, occupying about 3/4 of the length of the seed, 2 mm wide or more in widest place.

A tropical plant. It occurs near quartzite and granite rocks. It can grow in the lowlands and up to 1800 m in South Africa. They mostly grow in coastal areas in deciduous woodland. They are somewhat drought resistant and can tolerate frost. They grow on a range of soils. They do best on dry well drained soils. It can grow in arid places.

The fruit can be eaten raw. They can be dried. The fruit can be eaten when immature or when ripe. They are also used for beer, wine and jams.

They can be grown from seed or cuttings. Fresh seed germinate quickly. Cuttings from old wood can be used. Fruit are ready to harvest 4-5 months after flowering.