Commiphora multijuga
(Hiern.) K. Schum.
Purple-stem corkwood
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(c) Francois du Randt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Francois du Randt
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(c) lougarou, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) lougarou, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A broad leaved tree. It grows 2-8 m high. The bark is smooth and red brown. The leaves are compound. They have leaflets along the stalk and one at the end. They are 3-8 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets droop. They are oval and 1-3 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The leaflets are dark green on both surfaces. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. The flowers are cream or yellow. The petals are curved outwards. The fruit is a round berry. It is 15 mm across.
Edible Uses
The stems can be consumed as a drink.
Known Hazards
None reported in available data.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It cannot tolerate frost. It grows in areas with a marked dry season. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 50-450 mm. It grows on sandy or stony soils. In southern Africa it grows between 100-1,080 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Namibia, Southern Africa,
Cultivation
It can be cut back and will re-grow.
Notes
An edible caterpillar (Usta wallendrenii) eats the leaves.
Also Known As
Omuzumba, Tsans
References (2)
- 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 5th April 2011]
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
