Syzygium legatii

Burtt Davy & Greenway

Mountain waterberry

Myrtaceae Edible: Fruit 107 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Syzygium legatii, the mountain waterberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, native to the Northern Provinces of South Africa. A small tree, it is typically found in rocky grasslands and savannas, often on quartzite soils.

Description

A small to medium sized tree. It grows 3-8 m high. It has a single stem that branches low down. The branches are dark brown. The twigs are square. The leaves are opposite and erect. They are 2-6 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They taper to a point. They are dark green and glossy above and more pale underneath. Young growth is pink. Leaves are stiffly leathery. The flowers are small and white. They are in heads at the ends of branches. The fruit is an oval berry 15 mm long and wide. They turn dark purple of black when ripe.

Edible Uses

The ripe berries are eaten as a snack.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten as a snack.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in rocky grassland.

Where It Grows

Africa, Eswatini, Madagascar, South Africa*, Southern Africa, Swaziland,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from fresh seed. Seeds germinate better in shaded places.

Notes

It is an at risk species.

Synonyms

Syzygium guineense subsp. legatii (Burtt Davy & Greenway) F. White

Also Known As

Bergwaterbessie, Mutawi, Waterbos

References (4)

Magwede, K., van Wyk, B.-E., & van Wyk, A. E., 2019, An inventory of Vhavenḓa useful plants. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 57–89
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 81
Schmidt, E., Lotter, M., & McCleland, W., 2007, Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Jacana Media p 482
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