Eugenia capensis subsp. zeyheri
(Harv.) F. White
Wild myrtle, Black bush tea, Bush cherry
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(c) Sharon Louw, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sharon Louw
Summary
Source: WikipediaEugenia capensis, the dune myrtle, is a species of plant in the family Myrtaceae, which is native to East and southern Africa.
Description
A small tree 4.5-11 m tall. It has many branches. The trunk can be 30 cm across. The bark is thin, grey and scaly. The leaves are in opposite pairs. They are 1.3-5 cm long and 0.6-1.3 cm wide. The leaves narrow towards both ends. The leaves are dark green and shiny on top and dull underneath. The midrib is slightly raised under the leaf and the side veins are not easy to see. The edge of the leaf rolls inwards slightly. The leaves when crushed give off a scent. The flowers are small and white. They occur on short slender stalks either singly or in groups. They are near the ends of branches. The fruit are small round and about 1 cm across. They have a small crown at the end. They are edible. There is one seed inside.
Edible Uses
The small round fruit is eaten raw.
Traditional Uses
The fruit is eaten raw.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
A subtropical plant. It grows in South Africa mostly near the coast. It is more common in light forest near streams.
Where It Grows
Africa, Australia, South Africa*, Southern Africa,
Cultivation
It is grown from seed.
Production
Flowering in the southern hemisphere is December to May.
Notes
There are about 550 Eugenia species. They are mostly in tropical and subtropical South America.
Synonyms
References (7)
- Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 302 (As Eugenia zeyheri)
- Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 99 (As Eugenia zeyheri)
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 136 (As Eugenia zeyheri)
- Palgrave, K.C., 1996, Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers. p 689 (As Eugenia zeyheri)
- Palmer, E and Pitman, N., 1972, Trees of Southern Africa. Vol. 3. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town p 1673
Show all 7 references Hide references
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 81 (As Eugenia zeyheri)
- 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 (As Eugenia zeyheri)
