Cleistanthus polystachyus
Hook. f. ex Planch.
Forest umzithi
Wikimedia Commons - SAplants
Wikimedia Commons - SAplants
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit is eaten.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the forest. In Malawi it grows along rivers and the lake shore in light shade. It grows in rainforest up to 2,100 m altitude. It suits humid locations.
Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. It grows 10 m high. It can be 30 m high. The trunk can be 25 cm across. It has a spreading crown. The leaves are alternate and simple. They are broadly sword shaped and 5-8 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The flowering branches are slender and rusty coloured. The flowers are yellow. Male and female flowers are separate on the same tree. They have a scent. There are some subspecies. The fruit is a flattened round shape. It has a hard outer layer.
Notes
It has also been put in the family Euphorbiaceae.
Names & Synonyms
Msala
References (3)
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 2. Kew.
- White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. and Chapman, J. D., 2001, Evergreen Forest Flora of Malawi. Kew. p 246
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
