Characteristics
A bush or tall tree. It can be 30 m tall. The trunk can be 0.6-1.3 m across. The crown is small and with shiny foliage. The leaves are glossy green above and paler underneath. The edges are often slightly wavy. They occur opposite each other on twigs 1-2 cm long. Leaves are 5-10 cm long and 1.3-3.5 cm wide. They are broadly sword shaped. They taper to both ends. The flowers are creamy-white. They occur in loose sprays at the ends of branches. The fruit is oval and 1.5-2.5 cm long. They have one seed. The fruit is edible. The fruit are dark purple colour when ripe.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
tree
|
| Growth support |
-
|
| Foliage retention |
evergreen
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
17.5 - 20.0
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
c3
|
Environment
A tropical plant. It grows from sea level to 1500 m in South Africa. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The fruit are eaten. They need processing.
| Uses |
-
|
| Edible
|
fruits
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Seeds take up to 18 months to germinate. Seeds should be fresh, and healthy.
| Mode |
-
|
| Germination duration (days) |
30 - 120
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
18 - 21
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
14 - 18
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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