Characteristics
A prickly shrub. It can be creeping or climbing. It grows 50-70 cm high. There are a few prickles on the stem. They are slightly curved. The leaves are compound with 3 pairs of leaflets and one at the tip. These are narrowly oval and 1-6 cm long. There are teeth along the edge and they have s sharp tip. The flowers are white to pale yellow. They have a scent. The flowers usually occur as 3-20 in dense heads. The fruit are green but ripen to orange-red. They are fleshy and 2 cm long. They are edible.
| Life form |
-
|
| Growth form |
shrub
|
| Growth support |
climber
|
| Foliage retention |
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| Sexuality |
-
|
| Pollination |
-
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| Spread |
-
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| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
0.5 - 3.85
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
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| Root diameter (meter) |
-
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| Flower color |
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| Blooming months |
-
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| Fruit color |
-
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| Fruiting months |
-
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| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
A tropical plant. In East Africa it grows in the highlands. It is common between 1,700-3,300 m altitude.
| Light |
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| Soil humidity |
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| Soil texture |
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| Soil acidity |
-
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| Soil nutriment |
-
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| Hardiness (USDA) |
-
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Usage
The ripe fruit are eaten raw. The seeds are not eaten.
Cultivation
Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.
| Mode |
-
|
| Germination duration (days) |
30 - 365
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
12
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
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| Germination treatment |
-
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| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
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| Size |
-
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| Vigor |
-
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| Productivity |
-
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