Parinari capensis Harv.

A dwarf shrub, with very long branched rhizomes, and erect caespitose branched stems, often very short but up to 75 cm. tall, covered above with yellow or silvery hairs, glabrescent below.. Leaves shortly petiolate, narrowly oblanceolate to oblong or oblong-elliptic, 4–11.5 × 1.5–5.8 cm., rounded (sometimes emarginate) to broadly obtuse, basally cuneate to rounded or cordate, glabrous and green above, thickly white-tomentose beneath; primary nerves 15–30 “pairs,” obvious on both surfaces.. Inflorescence terminal, or axillary to the uppermost 1 or 2 leaves, paniculate, branched; panicles usually dense and shaggy with long ± spreading silvery or brown hairs; cymes commonly triflorous.. Flowers 4–6.5 mm. long (from base of calyx).. Calyx cup-shaped, ± abruptly and unilaterally gibbous, the lobes (1.5–)1.75–2(–3) mm. long, triangular.. Filaments of fertile stamens 1.5–1.75(–2) mm. long; staminodes 0.5–1.0 mm. long.. Style 3–3.5 mm. long, shaggy towards the base.. Drupe subglobular or obovoid-globular, yellow when mature, but black and liberally spotted with light brown patches of cork when dried.

A tropical plant. It grows amongst rocks and in sand and clay soils. It can be in seasonally flooded grassland. It grows between 900-1,200 m above sea level. In Zimbabwe it grows between 1,200-1,600 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It grows in poor savannah soils.

The sweet outer layer of the fruit is eaten. It is buried in the sand to become ready to eat. It can be dried and eaten as a soft cake. It is also used to make beer. Juice of the fruit can be drunk fresh or boiled to a firm consistency. The crushed kernels are eaten as a relish with meat.

Plants are grown from seeds. The ripe fruit are buried and the flesh allowed to rot,. Then the seed is put in boiling water that is then allowed to cool and soak for 12 hours. Root suckers can also be used.