Common Name:

General Information

Strychnos pungens is an evergreen shrub or a tree; it usually grows from 0.6 - 8 metres tall, though specimens up to 16 metres have been recorded[, , ]. The bole has a thick, fissured bark[].
The edible fruit is harvested from the wild for local use. In some areas the fruit is of good quality and it is a highly valued food, though in other areas the fruit has an unpleasant smell and is much less eaten[]. The plant also has local medicinal uses and the fruit shells have a range of uses. Although not cultivated, the tree is often left standing when the forest is cleared for cultivation[].

Known Hazards

The seeds are poisonous[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Southern Africa - Tanzania, southern Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, S. Africa.

Habitat

Woodland, often with Brachystegia, at elevations up to 2,000 metres[]. Dry sites on ledges, rocky slopes, or at the base of stony koppies; also in sandy regions[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. A sweet tasting pulp[]. A hole is made into the shell and the fruit, which is a mixture of juice and a compact cluster of seeds embedded in a slimy pulp, is scooped out[]. The seeds are spat out when eating the fruit because they are believed to be poisonous[, ]. The globose, hard-shelled fruit turns orange or yellow as it matures, it can be 5 - 15cm in diameter, with about 20 - 100 seeds[].
Fruit from trees growing in S. Africa usually has a strong smell and is inferior, from the palatable stand-point, to some of the other large-fruited species in this genus. Reports from Namibia, however, state that in those regions the fruit is palatable and has not got a disagreeable smell[, ].

Medicinal

A decoction of roots is used as a remedy for stomach-ache and bronchitis[].

An infusion from the leaves is used as a lotion for sore eyes[].

Other Uses

The empty fruit shells are used for making rattles[]. The shell, after the flesh has been removed, is left to dry for some time and is then filled with hard dry seeds - preferably those from Rhynchosia resinosa[].
The fruit shell is also sometimes used as a drinking vessel[].

The translucent seeds are sometimes used in making necklaces[].

The yellow wood is used for fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed -

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