Maurocenia frangularia

Pers.

Hottentot's cherry, Bittersweet cherry

Celastraceae Edible: Fruit 474 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A small tree. It grows 3 m tall. The bark is grey and scaly with cracks along it. The new growth is red. The leaves are leathery and dark green above and more pale underneath. The flowers are small and yellow to white. Male and female flowers are usually on separate plants. The fruit are bright red berries that turn purple when ripe.

Edible Uses

The fruit are eaten raw.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a subtropical or Mediterranean climate plant.

Where It Grows

Africa, South Africa, Southern Africa,

Cultivation

It can be grown by seeds or cuttings. It can be grown as a hedge.

Production

It grows slowly but lives a long time.

Notes

There is only one Maurocenia species.

Synonyms

Cassine maurocenia L.Hartogia capensis L.f.Hartogia capensis var. lanceolata Sond.Hartogia capensis var. multiflora Sond.Hartogia capensis var. riparia Sond.Maurocenia capensis Sond.

References (7)

Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 152
Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 125 (As Cassine maurocenia)
Palmer & Pitman, 1972,
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 80
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 43

Show all 7 references

Sp. pl. ed. 2, 1:385. 1762 (As Cassine maurocenia)
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