Scolopia mundii
(Eckl. & Zeyh.) Warb.
Red pear, Mountain saffron, Red thorn-pear
(c) Troos van der Merwe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Troos van der Merwe
(c) Nick Helme, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Nick Helme
(c) Anthony Walton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Anthony Walton
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Root
The fruit are kept for two days after harvesting before eating.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows from sea level to about 1900 m altitude. It often grows on high rocky grassy slopes. It suits hardiness zones 9-11.
Africa, Australia, East Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa*, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A tree. It can be 9-25 m high and with a trunk 1.2 m across. The crown has spreading branches. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are 2.5-8 cm long by 2.5-5 cm wide. They are oval or egg shaped. The edges of the leaves have sharp teeth. The leaf is dark glossy green above and paler underneath. Leaf stalks are often red. The flowers are small and greenish-white. The groups of flowers are in the axils of leaves. The fruit are 1.3 cm across. They are round with a wispy point. The fruit are yellow or orange when ripe.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Scolopia mundii, the red pear or mountain saffron, is a tree in the family Salicaceae found in Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It has dark green foliage and bright yellow or orange berries. A very adaptable species, it can be found in forests, forest edges and mountain slopes from 30-2200m in elevation. While it is not considered threatened over its entire range, it is rare and considered Critically Endangered (CR) in Zimbabwe.
Notes
Also put in the Flacourtiaceae family.
Names & Synonyms
References (15)
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- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
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