Grewia bicolor

Grewia bicolor, called bastard brandy bush, false brandy bush, two-coloured grewia, white-leaved grewia, white-leaved raisin, white raisin and donkey berry (a name it shares with Grewia flavescens), is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to sub-Saharan Africa, Yemen, Oman, and the Indian subcontinent. In Africa Grewia bicolor is one of the most important forages during the dry season, when all herbivores, wild and domestic, find it palatable. It is particularly enjoyed by giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus) and domestic goats (Capra aegagrus hircus). Caterpillars of Anaphe reticulata have been found to feed on the foliage.

Description

A small tree or shrub. It grows up to 3-8 m tall. It is often a shrub with many stems. The young branches are covered with soft hairs. The leaves are oval or sword shaped. They are smooth above and white below. The have fine teeth along the edges. The leaves are 1-8 cm long. The flowers are in bunches and are bright yellow. They have 5 narrow petals. The fruit are orange brown and 6 mm across. They are edible.

Edible Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten raw and fresh, dried as candy, or fermented into beer; the fruit juice is drunk and added to porridge. The leaves are eaten as a binding agent for sauces and fresh leaves are made into tea.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten raw and fresh. The seeds are not eaten. The fruit are also dried as candy. The fruit juice is drunk and added to porridge. It is also fermented into beer. The leaves are eaten being used as a binding agent for sauces. Fresh leaves are made into a tea drink.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in lowlands and highlands. It grows in drier regions. It grows in the Sahel. The rainfall in these places is 400-900 mm each year. It is often on rocky slopes near the sea. In grows on calcareous soils. It grows at low and medium altitudes in South Africa. In East Africa it grows from sea level to 2,000 m altitude. It grows best between 800-1,800 m altitude. It can grow in arid places. It is often on termite mounds. It grows in Miombo woodland in Africa. It grows in the Sahara.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Arabia, Asia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seeds. Seeds need treatment to germinate well. The hard surface needs breaking. Cuttings root poorly but if they have a heel they are better. It can be cut back and will re-grow.

Production

In Tanzania it grows between April to June.

Other Information

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Notes

There are about 200 Grewia species. They are mostly tropical. The fruit of most may be edible. These were in the Sparrmanniaceae and the Tiliaceae.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Adini'ato, Bamberou, Bastard brandybush, Bereza, Dahita, Daiyta, Dawaita, Dhebi, Ekaliye, False brandybush, Haroresa, Hebele, Imizziz, Kongulubi, Lomo, M'tongolo, Mariken dutse, Metapuessa, Mkole, Mkoma, Mkone, Mlawa, Mogwana, Mulawa, Muntongoro, Muragwa, Mutongoro, Olsitete, Omundjembere, Osiminde, Ositeti, Seffa, Sibane, Simadado, Siteti, Sitit, Somoya, Tsewayita, Umhlampunzi, Umpumpulwane

References (67)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 47
• Addis, G., Asfaw, Z & Woldu, Z., 2013, Ethnobotany of Wild and Semi-wild Edible Plants of Konso Ethnic Community, South Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research and Applications. 11:121-141
• Allen, D. J., 2007, Wildflowers and Common Trees of East Africa. Camerapix Publishers p 58
• Asfaw, Z. and Tadesse, M., 2001, Prospects for Sustainable Use and Development of Wild Food Plants in Ethiopia. Economic Botany, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 47-62
• Bahru, T., et al, 2013, Wild Edible Plants: Sustainable Use and Management by Indigenous Communities in and the Buffer Area of Awah National Park, Ethiopia. Ethiop. J. Sci., 36(2): 93-108

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