Enterospermum littorale

Hiern

Dune enterospermum

Rubiaceae Edible: Fruit

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Description

A leafy shrub or small tree. It grows up to 4.5 m high. The twigs are 4 angled. The young growth has large leafy stipules. The leaves are simple, opposite and hard. They are 9 cm long by 4 cm wide. They are often widest in the upper half and tapering to the base. The tips are rounded. The stipules between the leaves are triangular and easy to see. The flowers are tiny and white or yellow. The occur in small 3 branched sprays at the ends of branches. The fruit are pea sized, round and brown. They are covered with raised lines. The fruit are edible.

Edible Uses

The pea-sized brown fruit are edible and can be eaten.

Traditional Uses

The fruit can be eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows near the seashore. It grows in the lowlands.

Where It Grows

Africa, East Africa, South Africa, Southern Africa,

References (3)

Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 329
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 47
Palmer, E and Pitman, N., 1972, Trees of Southern Africa. Vol. 2. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town p 2039