Characteristics
A narrow shrub. It has many branches. It grows 3-4 m tall. The main branches extend upwards There are many small side branches. The leaves are light green and hairy. The flowers are cream. The fruit are 1.5 cm across. They are soft and green and turn brown when ripe. There are 2 subspecies.
Life form |
-
|
Growth form |
tree
|
Growth support |
free-standing
|
Foliage retention |
deciduous
|
Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
Pollination |
-
|
Spread |
-
|
Mature width (meter) |
-
|
Mature height (meter) |
2.1 - 4.25
|
Root system |
-
|
Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
Flower color |
-
|
Blooming months |
-
|
Fruit color |
-
|
Fruiting months |
-
|
Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
It is a tropical plant. In Kenya it grow in wooded grassland between 1,000-2,000 m altitude. It grows on sandy and red soils. It grows in areas with rainfall between 500-700 mm per year.
Light |
-
|
Soil humidity |
-
|
Soil texture |
-
|
Soil acidity |
-
|
Soil nutriment |
-
|
Hardiness (USDA) |
-
|
Usage
The ripe fruit are eaten and are sweet. The seeds are discarded. The stems are smoked and used to flavour milk.
Uses |
-
|
Edible
|
fruits
|
Therapeutic use
|
-
|
Human toxicity |
-
|
Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Mode |
-
|
Germination duration (days) |
-
|
Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
Germination luminosity |
-
|
Germination treatment |
-
|
Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
Size |
-
|
Vigor |
-
|
Productivity |
-
|