Ximenia caffra Sond.

Species

Angiosperms > Santalales > Olacaceae > Ximenia

Characteristics

A shrub or small tree It grows to 8 m tall. It has many spines. Young stems can be very hairy. The bark is grey or brown. It is smooth at first but then becomes rough and cracked along its length. The young twigs are covered with fine red hairs. The leaves are simple and alternate. They vary in shape. They are 2.5-6 cm long and 2 cm wide. They are densely hairy at first. They become shiny green and smooth with age. The leaves narrow to the base and are on short leaf stalks. The lower leaf surface is more pale than the upper surface. The leaves tend to fold inwards. The flowers develop as long green buds in the axils of the leaves. These open to 4 petalled green, hairy flowers. The flowers are either on their own or in a bunch from the same point. They are small and white. They have a sweet scent and are 1.3 cm long. The fruit are oval and 2.5-3 cm long. They are greenish when young and become bright red when ripe. They are edible. The contain one woody seed. (The large leaves, fewer spines, more solitary flowers and red fruit help distinguish this plant from the variety americana.)
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Trees or shrubs up to 8 m. high, armed with axillary spines; young stems glabrous to densely tomentose.. Petiole 5–6 mm. long, canaliculate; leaf-blade coriaceous, elliptic to lanceolate, 2.5–8 cm. long, 1.2–4 cm. wide, obtuse or retuse at apex; midrib prominent beneath, ± impressed above; lateral veins 4–5 pairs, inconspicuous.. Flowers axillary, solitary or fasciculate, whitish-green sometimes tinged pink to red; pedicels 3–10(–14) mm. long.. Calyx 4(–5)-lobed, pubescent, small.. Petals 4(–5), 6–9 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide, recurved when mature, densely pilose within.. Stamens 8; filaments 2.5–4.5 mm. long; anthers approximately the same length, up to 0.8 mm. wide.. Ovary superior, 3–4-partite at the base; style up to 1 mm. long.. Fruit an ovoid drupe, up to 3.5 cm. long and 2.5 cm. wide, orange to red; mesocarp pulpy.. Seed woody, 2.5 cm. long and up to 1 cm. wide.
Shrub or small tree up to 6 m tall, armed with spines; young branches and leaves densely rusty-tomentose to glabrous. Leaf-lamina 2.5-8 x 1.2-4 cm, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, obtuse to retuse at the apex, coriaceous; midrib impressed above, prominent below; lateral nerves 4-5 pairs, very slightly or not at all prominent on both surfaces; petiole 5-6 mm long, canaliculate. Flowers solitary or fasciculate in the axils of the leaves; pedicels 3-7 mm long; buds oblong-obovoid. Calyx 4(5)-lobed, ± pubescent. Petals 4(5), 6-12 x 1.5-2.5 mm, externally pubescent or almost glabrous, densely bearded within, shortly cucullate at the apex, recurved. Stamens 8; filaments 2.5-4 mm long; anthers 2.5-4.5 x 0.6-0.8 mm. Ovary c. 3 x 1.5 mm; style up to 1 mm long, columnar, caducous. Fruit c. 2.5 x 1.8 cm, drupaceous, bright scarlet when ripe, ellipsoid, edible. Seed c. 1.5 x 1 cm.
Leaf-lamina 2·5–8 × 1·2–4 cm., elliptic or oblong-elliptic, obtuse to retuse at the apex, coriaceous; midrib impressed above, prominent below; lateral nerves 4–5 pairs, very slightly or not at all prominent on both surfaces; petiole 5–6 mm. long, canaliculate.
Petals 4 (5), 6–12 × 1·5–2·5 mm., externally pubescent or almost glabrous, densely bearded within, shortly cucullate at the apex, recurved.
Shrub or small tree up to 6 m. tall, armed with spines; young branches and leaves densely rusty-tomentose to glabrous.
Flowers solitary or fasciculate in the axils of the leaves; pedicels 3–7 mm. long; buds oblong-obovoid.
Fruit c. 2·5 × 1·8 cm., drupaceous, bright scarlet when ripe, ellipsoid, edible.
Stamens 8; filaments 2·5–4 mm. long; anthers 2·5–4·5 × 0·6–0·8 mm.
Ovary c. 3 × 1·5 mm.; style up to 1 mm. long, columnar, caducous.
Calyx 4 (5)-lobed, ± pubescent.
Seed c. 1·5 × 1 cm.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support parasite
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
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Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 6.0
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Dry lowland woodland, wooded grassland; coastal bushland; alluvial Acacia woodland and bushland; Euphorbia woodland; riverine bushland at elevations up to 2,000 metres.
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A tropical plant. It grows on rocky woodlands from 5 m to 2,000 m above sea level. It suits dry areas. It can tolerate drought. It can grow in arid places.
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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

The fruit are eaten ripe either raw and fresh or dried. The flavour is best when the fruit are over-ripe. They can be used for jelly and marmalade. They are used for drinks and in porridge. The seeds are eaten.
Uses animal food bee plant environmental use food fuel gene source invertebrate food material medicinal oil social use wood
Edible fruits seeds
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed or suckers. To collect seed fruit are collected when soft then left to dry in the sun before removing the seed. Seed are best sown fresh. Seed germinate quickly and easily. Seed lose their viability after 3 months.
Mode seedlings
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Images

Leaf

Ximenia caffra leaf picture by Anderson Muchawona (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Ximenia caffra world distribution map, present in Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Mayotte, Namibia, South Sudan, eSwatini, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Ximenia caffra threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:608572-1
WFO ID wfo-0000428236
COL ID 7FXB3
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 807575
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ximenia caffra Ximenia caffra var. caffra

Lower taxons

Ximenia caffra var. natalensis