Grewia villosa

Grewia villosa is a shrub, often scrambling and hardly exceeding 4 m in height. Leaves are fairly large, serrated and heart-shaped. It grows naturally, mainly in dry habitats. It is common in most of the semi-arid parts of Eastern Africa but may now be rare in parts of its natural distribution. It can be seen in Ein Gedi oasis in Israel, and in South Africa, where it is common. Its ripe copper-coloured fruits are eaten in East Africa.

Description

A shrub. It grows 2-4 m tall. It is usually much branched. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are oval or round and are large. They are 2.5-14 cm across. They have teeth along the edges. They are copper coloured. There are downy hairs on both surfaces. The leaves are more pale underneath. The fruit is red and hairy. The have 4 shallow lobes. They are 12 mm across. The fruit are edible.

Edible Uses

The fruit of the Grewia villosa were eaten both while immature and green and also once they had ripened and hardened to a dark, reddish-brown. The bark was stripped off and crushed in water or chewed to a pulp which was used to wash the body as well as to clean the hair and disinfect the scalp

Traditional Uses

The ripe orange fruit are usually eaten raw. The skin is rubbed off and the seeds discarded.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Grewia species are valued in many cultures for their medicinal virtues. The main medicinal action appears to come from the mucilage that is found in the leaves, stems and roots, which has been shown to have soothing and healing properties. Taken internally it is often used as a remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery, for example, whilst externally it is applied to wounds, cuts, ulcers, irritations etc. The plant can be taken as a simple infusion or decoction, or it can be applied topically as a poultice of the plant, or the mucilage can be extracted from the plant, if required, by maceration and then decoction. The roots are emetic. They are used to treat diarrhoea and body pains. The juice of the fresh bark is used in the treatment of urinary troubles, irritation in the bladder and gonorrhoea. The bark is used in the treatment of wounds, syphilis and smallpox.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows on rocky soils rich in iron. It grows in drier places. It grows in the Sahel. It occurs in low altitude mixed woodland. It Ethiopia it grows well between 800-1,800 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Arabia, Asia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Chad, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, India, Israel, Kenya, Mali, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Sahel, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. They are best planted directly.

Propagation

Seed - we have no specific information for this species but seed of this genus is generally best sown as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!), allowing the mix to cool somewhat and then leaving it in a warm place to soak for 12 - 24 hours. Sow the seeds in situ or in a nursery seedbed or trays - do not allow the compost to become dry. Germination and early growth are usually quite quick. Cuttings - best taken with a heel.

Other Uses

A good quality fibre is obtained from the inner bark. Used for making ropes. An extract from the bark is used for gluing tobacco leaves. The small stems are used for walking sticks, spearshafts, bows and for making granaries.

Production

In Tanzania it is collected May to July. In NW Pakistan fruit are available in July.

Other Information

A much liked sweet fruit. 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.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Amapayenyane, Amasendendwangu, Balneda, Banta, Barnedo, Bonkako, Chenulu, Chiamaguna, Citta, Dogomdii, Dohan, Epongai, Gangetî, Gariwa, Gomashaa, Gomesha, Gomosh, Habeleyta, Hlukayebe, Injarai, Ipopoi, Insarram Jalidar, Jenukallai, Kabish, Kashkasri, Kharmati, Kobbish, Korfu, Kubbish, Kullai, Kumorobasho, Lonkas, Luketa, Makow, Mallow raisin, Mallow-leaved cross-berry, Malvarosyntjie, Mbuu, Mkoma, Mokuwo, Mshoshote, Mugu, Mupunzu, Mushendewabosokwe, Muvu, Offissa, Ogadie, Ogomdii, Ogomteta, Ogumdi, Okura, Olmangulai, Olukuru, Padekhado, Parekhado, Pastuwanne, Perukadalai, Qoffissa, Rug, Sannudippe, Tomur al abid, Umjelekudzi, Umlekule, Vattachi

References (83)

• 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., et al, 2005, Ethnobotanical Study of Edible Wild Plants in Some Selected Districts of Ethiopia. Human Ecology, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 83-118
• 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
• Addis, G., et al, 2013, The Role of Wild and Semi-wild Edible Plants in Household Food Sovereignty in Hamer and Konso Communities, South Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research & Applications. 11:251-271
• Ahmad, K. & Pieroni, A., 2016, Folk knowledge of wild food plants among the tribal communities of Thakht-e-Sulaiman Hills, North-West Pakistan. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 12:17

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