Cleistanthus polystachyus
Hook. f. ex Planch.
Forest umzithi
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Wikimedia Commons - SAplants
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - SAplants
Description
A shrub or small tree. It grows 10 m high. It can be 30 m high. The trunk can be 25 cm across. It has a spreading crown. The leaves are alternate and simple. They are broadly sword shaped and 5-8 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The flowering branches are slender and rusty coloured. The flowers are yellow. Male and female flowers are separate on the same tree. They have a scent. There are some subspecies. The fruit is a flattened round shape. It has a hard outer layer.
Edible Uses
The fruit is eaten.
Known Hazards
The fruit has a hard outer layer.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the forest. In Malawi it grows along rivers and the lake shore in light shade. It grows in rainforest up to 2,100 m altitude. It suits humid locations.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Notes
It has also been put in the family Euphorbiaceae.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Msala
References (3)
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 2. Kew.
- White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. and Chapman, J. D., 2001, Evergreen Forest Flora of Malawi. Kew. p 246
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
