Grewia occidentalis L.

Shrub or small tree up to 3 m tall with rather slender glabrescent branchlets. Leaf-blade 20-40(-50) x 10-20(-30) mm, lanceolate, rhomboid-lanceolate or obovate-lanceolate, acute or rounded at the apex, subcuneate, rounded, or slightly cordate at the base, glabrous or slightly stellate-pubescent on both sides, crenate or crenate-dentate, rather thin-textured; petiole up to 13 mm long, glabrescent; stipules up to 4 mm long, linear, pubescent, caducous. Inflorescences leaf-opposed, 1(-3)-flowered; peduncles up to 15 mm long, slender, glabrescent; pedicels similar, up to 12 mm long. Sepals up to 7.5 mm long, linear-oblong, pubescent and greenish outside, purplish or pink inside. Petals purple, mauve, pinkish or very rarely white, up to 14 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, with a basal nectariferous claw circumvillous within, ledged above and 1 mm tall. Androgynophore glabrous below for 1 mm, prolonged above into a densely pubescent portion up to 3 mm long. Ovary densely hairy, 4-lobed; style up to 10 mm long, glabrous; stigma-lobes broad. Fruit up to 25 mm in diam., 4-lobed, shining, glabrescent, reddish purple, somewhat fleshy.

A tropical plant. It is common in forest and scrub. It grows in areas with modest rainfall. It grows from sea level to 1500 m altitude in South Africa. In Zimbabwe it grows above 1,400 m above sea level. Plants can grow in the sun or partial shade. It needs fertile, well-drained soil. It can tolerate frost. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. The juice is used fresh or fermented. They are also cooked in milk to make a drink.

It can be grown from seed. Seeds germinate easily and plants transplant easily. Plants can also be grown from cuttings or layering.