Searsia albida
(Schousb.) Moffett
Hawthorn
wikimedia · cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
Wikimedia Commons - Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
wikimedia · cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
Wikimedia Commons - Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
What to Eat
Edible parts: Berries, Fruit, Spice
The berries and fruit are edible and can be used as a spice.
Where to Find It
It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It grows in the Sahara.
Africa, Algeria, Arabia, Canary Islands, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, North Africa, Syria, Western Sahara,
Countries: United Arab Emirates, Albania, Angola, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Croatia, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Comoros, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Montenegro, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How to Identify
A small shrub in the cashew family found in Mediterranean climates and the Sahara region. It produces sour fruit that are edible.
Notes
There are about 200 Rhus species. Many have now been changed to Searsia. The fruit are most are edible.
Names & Synonyms
Anafiss, Zuwaya
Rhus albida Schousb.Rhus oxyacantha var. albida (Schousb.) Ball
References (4)
- Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 559 (As Rhus albida)
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 158 (As Rhus albida)
- Moffett, R. O., 2007, Name changes in the Old World Rhus and recognition of Searsia (Anacardiaceae) Bothalia 37,2: 165-175 (2007)
- Nassif, F., & Tanji, A., 2013, Gathered food plants in Morocco: The long forgotten species in Ethnobotanical Research. Life Science Leaflets 3:17-54 (As Rhus albida)
