Ochna atropurpurea

DC.

Large-flowered ochna

Ochnaceae Edible: Fruit, Seeds 255 iNaturalist observations

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iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Description

A shrub or small tree. The bark is pale brown and rough. The leaves are broadly sword shaped and 7-23 cm long. They are leathery. There are fine teeth along the edges. The leaf stalk is stout and swollen. The flowers are in branched heads. They are 2.5-3.5 cm across and bright yellow. The fruit are fleshy and in groups of 3-5. They are purple and have bright red lobes around them.

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 tropical plant. It grows on sandy soils and often amongst rocks. It grows in the lowlands. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 400 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, East Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, SE Asia, Tanzania, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Synonyms

Ochna mossambicensis Klotzsch

Also Known As

Cana-cana, Kafunyaki, Kwarula, Mai do, Mondora, Muhongo, Rehje

References (6)

East African Herbarium records, 1981,
Flora Zambesiaca. http://apps.kew.org/efloras (As Ochna mossambicensis)
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 51
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 47 (As Ochna mossambicensis)
Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145

Show all 6 references