Antidesma madagascariense
Lam.
Varana
PhyllanthaceaeFruit
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(c) Helene Ralimanana, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Helene Ralimanana
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(c) Cédric de Foucault, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Cédric de Foucault
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(c) miraille, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by miraille
(c) miraille, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by miraille
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit is eaten fresh and also used in alcoholic drinks.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. In Reunion it grows in forests between 100-1,600 m above sea level.
Africa, East Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Uganda,
Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. The bark is brownish grey and cracked. It grows 5 m tall. The shape, size and texture of the leaves varies. They are often narrowly oval and 4-10 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The flowers are small and reddish-green. The fruit are berries in small clusters. They are dark red and turn purple to black when ripe. They are shiny. They are 6-7 mm long.
Medicinal Uses
The leaves are used in medicine.
Notes
There are about 100-170 Antidesma species. The leaves are used in medicine.
Names & Synonyms
Bois bigayon, Bois de cabri
Several
References (3)
- Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 34
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 121
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
