Common Name:

General Information

Parinari capensis is a perennial plant with an extensively rhizomatous root system. Woody stems, usually up to 30cm tall, but very rarely to 1 metre, are produced annually from leaf axils at the base of old stems - the stems usually dying back to the base at the end of the growing season, though occasionally growing on the following year[].
The edible fruit and seed are sometimes harvested from the wild for local consumption.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, S. Africa.

Habitat

Edges of dambos, on sandy, especially seasonally waterlogged oligotrophic soils and on Kalahari sands, where trees are absent, forming large patches not touched by cattle; secondary grassland following destruction of woodland by fire, cultivation etc[]

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. Although somewhat dry and astringent, the sweet outer flesh is eaten[]. It has a strong, characteristic flavour and is often buried in sand for some time before being considered fit to eat[]. It can also be dried and eaten as a soft cake[]. The ellipsoid fruit is up to 3cm x 2cm[].
The juice of the fruit can be drunk fresh, or concentrated to the consistency of a gruel[].
The fruit is also used for making beer[].

Seed. The crushed kernels are eaten as a relish[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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