Searsia pyroides

Searsia pyroides, previously known as Rhus pyroides, (common currant-rhus English, gewone taaibos Afrikaans, nhlokoshiyane isiZulu) is a species of Searsia, native to southern Africa. This tree occurs throughout the whole of South Africa, a part of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania and in some areas of Namibia near Windhoek. It is very variable in all respects, though it is usually bushy and often thorny. It is found in bushveld, dry thornveld, on rocky hillsides, termite mounds, water courses and even on the fringes of forests. It is very hardy, tough, drought resistant and deciduous. The leaves are attractive and trifoliolate and it sometimes has large, woody thorns. Flowers are very small, greenish and are borne in summer. The male and female flowers are borne on separate trees and the female trees bear small fruits 3–4 mm in diameter, which turn red when ripe. The tree attracts a multitude of birds and insects due to its nutritious fruit and is an attractive addition to a garden. It is a host plant for the moth Xylopteryx arcuata.

Description

A plant which varies a lot. It can be a shrub or a tree. It is spreading. It can be 5 m tall. It is frequently spiny. The bark is dark brown. The young stems are green. They often have rusty velvet hairs and stout spines. It can be evergreen or lose its leaves in the dry season. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets vary in shape. The end leaflet can be 3-8 cm long by 1-2.3 cm wide. The side leaflets are shorter. The leaves are dark green on both surfaces and have a white covering of hairs. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. The flowers are very small and yellow. The occur in heads at the ends of branches. These can be 20 cm long. The fruit is 4-5 mm across. They are red when mature. There are several varieties.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. The tiny fruits have a thin flesh and are occasionally eaten in handfuls as a snack. They can be eaten unripe or ripe, often both mixed together. The unripe fruit are green and have a refreshing but slightly acidic taste, whereas the ripe red-to-black fruits are sweet. The fruits are only 3 - 5mm in diameter, but are produced in clusters on the plant so are fairly easy to harvest.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw as a snack. The fruit are dried and used to make a drink.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The fruit are traditionally dried and made into a drink.

Distribution

A tropical plant and subtropical plant. It is drought resistant. It grows in open woodland. It is also on rocky hillsides and along watercourses. It grows in the lowlands and the highlands. It grows in dry places and in rocky locations. It can grow in woodland or desert. In southern Africa it grows between 6-2,100 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. The older seeds should be soaked in water overnight.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. It germinates in three weeks.

Other Uses

The stems are used as toothbrushes. The wood is generall too small to be of much service, but is used to make hoe handles and the branches are used to construct animal enclosures. The wood is used for firewood and charcoal. The plant responds to trimming and can be grown as a hedge.

Production

It is moderately fast growing. The fruit are harvested by bending over the branches and plucking the fruit.

Notes

There are about 200 Rhus species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Awaca, Awaya, Ewayo, Epwatet, Kitheu, Mutheu, Mutheu munene, Oyukwere, Qadhadhiya

References (18)

• Agea, J. G., et al 2011, Wild and Semi-wild Food Plants of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom of Uganda: etc. Environmental Research Journal 5(2) 74-86 (As Rhus pyroides)
• Ashagre, M., et al, 2016, Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Burji District, Segan Area Zone of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:32 (As Rhus vulgaris)
• Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 78 (As Rhus pyroides)
• Godfrey, J. et al, 2013, Harvesting, preparationand preservation of commonly consumed wild and semi-wild food plants in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda. Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants. Vol.3 No.2 pp 262-282 (As Rhus pyroides)
• 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 80 (As Rhus pyroides)

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