Salvadora australis
Schweick.
Narrow-leafed mustard tree
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(c) Ehren, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ehren
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(c) Karen Eichholz, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Description
A small evergreen tree. The trunk is short. It usually forms branches low down. The crown is rounded. The branches usually droop to the ground. The young twigs are hairy. The leaves are opposite and simple. They are long, narrow and grey-green. They are covered with fine soft hairs. The flowers are in loose heads at the ends of branches. They are small and greenish-white. The fruit is fleshy with a stone inside. It is oval and 5-10 mm long. They are greenish-pink and finely velvety.
Edible Uses
The fruit has a sweet, peppery taste and is eaten.
Traditional Uses
The fruit have a sweet peppery taste.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
Traditional uses are documented by FPI.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in hot, low altitude bushveld. It is often on floodplains and salty flats. It can be on termite mounds. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 700 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe,
Synonyms
Also Known As
Ichitamuzi, Smalblaarmosterboom, Umphene
References (9)
- Awodoyin, R.O., Olubode, O.S., Ogbu, J.U., Balogun, R.B., Nwawuisi, J.U. and Orji, K.O., 2015, Indigenous Fruit Trees of Tropical Africa: Status, Opportunity for Development and Biodiversity Management. Agricultural Sciences, 6, 31-41
- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 331 (As Salvadora angustifolia var. australis)
- Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 99
- Schmidt, E., Lotter, M., & McCleland, W., 2007, Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Jacana Media p 538
Show all 9 references Hide references
- Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
- van Wyk, B, van Wyk, P, and van Wyk B., 2000, Photographic guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Briza. p 276
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
