Searsia ciliata

Licht. ex Schultes

Sour karee

Anacardiaceae Edible: Fruit 199 iNaturalist observations

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Description

An erect evergreen shrub. It grows up to 2-5 m high. It keeps growing from year to year. It forms thickets. The trunk is slender, rough and brown. The crown is somewhat rounded. The stems can be spiny. The leaves have 3 leaflets and these are narrowly oval to triangle shaped. There can be teeth along the edge. They often have fine hairs. The flowers are small, yellow and star like. They are in a loose group at the ends of the branches. The fruit are brown and fleshy. They are 4-5 mm across. They are almost round but slightly flattened.

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 in regions with a marked dry season. It can tolerate frost. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall of 100-500 mm. It is often on well drained limestone soils. In Southern Africa it grows between 300-1,650 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland,

Propagation

Seed - sow in a lightly shaded place in containers. Germination usually takes place within 4 - 6 weeks. Pot up the seedlings when they have 3 - 4 true leaves. The dried seed can be stored for 1 - 2 years.

Other Uses

The roots are a source of tannins. The plant is known as firebush in Namibia, where it is used to extinquish fires.

Synonyms

Rhus ciliata Licht. ex Schultes

Also Known As

Okasauroro

References (7)

Mannheimer, C. A. & Curtis. B.A. (eds), 2009, Le Roux and Muller's Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Namibia. Windhoek: Macmillan Education Namibia. p 280
Mill., A.J., 2001, Int. J. Pl. Sci. 162:1403
Moffett, R. O., 2007, Name changes in the Old World Rhus and recognition of Searsia (Anacardiaceae). Bothalia 37,2: 165-175 (2007)
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 28th March 2011] (As Rhus ciliata)
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 15

Show all 7 references

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