Dovyalis zeyheri
(Sonder) Warb.
Oval kei apple, Apricot sourberry
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(c) Kyle Campbell, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), uploaded by Kyle Campbell
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(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Description
It can be a shrub 1.5 m tall or a tree 12 m tall. It can give off a strong smell like rotten meat. There are short sharp straight spines up to 2.5 cm long in the axils of leaves. Leaves are simple and alternate. They vary in shape and texture. Leaves are 1.3-7 cm long by 1.3-4 cm wide. The young leaves are soft and velvety. The flowers are small and pale green and male and female flowers are separate. The male flowers are in small clusters in the axils of leaves and female flowers occur singly often on small side shoots. The fruit is an oval berry. It has a persistent style at the tip. Fruit are orange-yellow when ripe. The fruit are 2 cm long and with 2-3 seeds. The fruit are edible.
Edible Uses
The flesh of the fruit is edible but sour and can be eaten raw or made into jelly, jam, and wine.
Traditional Uses
The flesh of the fruit is edible but sour. It can be eaten raw or made into jelly and jam. It is also used for wine.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant. It occurs in light shrub and woodland. It grows from near sea level to 1600 m altitude in South Africa. It is drought resistant. It can withstand light frost except when young.
Where It Grows
Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds should be collected from ripe fruit off a tree. They should be dried in a shady spot then planted. Seeds germinate in 8-14 days. Seedlings can be transplanted after watering well.
Production
Plants have a moderate growth rate. Plants can fruit after 3 years.
Notes
There are about 22 Dovyalis species. Also put in the Flacourtiaceae family.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Mabambana, Munhungura, Musvisvirondo, Mutshimba, Mutu, Skokwari, Transvaal wild apricot, Umabambambane, Umnyazuma, Umqokolo, Wild apricot
References (20)
- H. G. A. Engler & K. A. E. Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3(6a):44. 1893 (Also as Dovyalis tristis)
- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 229
- https://growwild.co.za Edible Indigenous plants
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 133 (Also as Dovyalis tristis)
- Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
Show all 20 references Hide references
- 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
- Palgrave, K.C., 1996, Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers. p 641
- Palmer, E and Pitman, N., 1972, Trees of Southern Africa. Vol. 3. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town p 1565
- Plowes, N. J. & Taylor, F. W., 1997, The Processing of Indigenous Fruits and other Wildfoods of Southern Africa. in Smartt, L. & Haq. (Eds) Domestication, Production and Utilization of New Crops. ICUC p 190
- Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 194 (As Doryalis)
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 99
- Schmidt, E., Lotter, M., & McCleland, W., 2007, Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Jacana Media p 432
- Tredgold, M.H., 1986, Food Plants of Zimbabwe. Mambo Press. p 99
- Van Wyck, B., & Van Wyck, P, 1997, Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik. p 126
- van Wyk, Be., & Gericke, N., 2007, People's plants. A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa. Briza. p 42
- van Wyk, B-E., 2011, The potential of South African plants in the development of new food and beverage products. South African Journal of Botany 77 (2011) 857–868
- Venter, F & J., 2009, Making the most of Indigenous Trees. Briza. p 136
- 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
- www.zimbabweflora.co.zw 2011
