Vitellariopsis ferruginea Kupicha

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Sapotaceae > Vitellariopsis

Characteristics

A shrub or small tree. It grows to 8 m high. The bark is grey and smooth. The leaves are clustered near the ends of branches. The leaves are oval and 4.5-7 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. They are leathery. The young branches and leaves are covered with dark red hairs. The upper surface of mature leaves does not have hairs. The flowers are white or tinged with pink. They are about 1.5 cm across. They are on slender stalks 2 cm long. They occur in groups of 2-4 in the axils of leaves. The fruit are mainly oval but with the end drawn out and curved. They look like small gourds. They are about 3.5 cm long and 1.7 cm wide. They are covered with reddish-brown hairs. The fruit are edible.
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Leaf lamina 3·5–11 x 1·3–6 cm., elliptic to obovate–elliptic, the apex rounded or slightly emarginate, the base rounded to cuspidate; petiole 2–7 mm. long. Upper leaf surface glabrous, drying dark greyish–brown, with slightly raised midrib and fine vein reticulation; lower surface ferrugineous crispate–pubescent, glabrescent, with prominent midrib and conspicuous reticulation.
Branching–pattern divaricate or verticillate, the proximal part of each twig smooth, with distant leaf scars, the distal part rough with very crowded scars; leaves in “rosettes” at branch ends; leafy part of twigs and petioles with dense reddish indumentum.
Corolla c. 7·5 mm. long, connate at base for c. 1·5 mm.; median segments elliptic, slightly shorter than lateral segments, these ovate, tapering at apex.
Flowers white to pale pink, scented, attractive, borne 1–3 in leaf axils; pedicels 1–2 cm. long; buds and pedicels densely ferrugineous–pubescent.
Fruit up to 4·5 cm. long, ovoid–ellipsoid, apiculate, ferrugineous–tomentose when young, glabrescent, 1–2–seeded.
Stamens c. 4 mm. long; filaments subulate; anthers c. 3·5 mm. long.
Calyx c. 7·5 mm. long, outer sepals of thicker texture than inner.
Tree or large bush 3–7 m. high with smooth bole and pink slash.
Staminodes equalling stamens in length.
Gynoecium c. 8 mm. long.
Stipules soon caducous.
Seed up to 3 cm. long.
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Growth form tree
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 5.5 - 7.5
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Environment

It is a tropical plant. It grows on rocky hills and in wooded ravines. It can grow in arid places.
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Usage

The fruit are eaten raw as dessert fruit.
Uses food gene source
Edible fruits
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Cultivation

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Distribution

Vitellariopsis ferruginea world distribution map, present in Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Vitellariopsis ferruginea threat status: Vulnerable

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:790049-1
WFO ID wfo-0000332905
COL ID 5BKW8
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Vitellariopsis ferruginea