Rotheca uncinata
(Schinz) P. P. J. Herman & Retief
Cat's claw
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Zein et Carlo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Riana Fourie, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Riana Fourie, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A small shrub. It grows 1.2 m high. The stems are spiny. They have 2 hooked thorns at the base of every leaf. The leaves are opposite and oval. They taper towards the tip. The flowers are bright red. They are 15 mm long. The fruit have an unpleasant smell. The fruit are 1-2 cm across. They turn from green to black 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 tropical plant. It grows in well-drained sandy soils. It can grow in places with a dry season of 6-11 months. It grows between 915-1,310 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Gabon, Malawi Namibia, Southern Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Synonyms
Also Known As
Dareh, Lukato, Namuteketa
References (1)
- 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 19th April 2011]
