Phyllogeiton discolor
| Brown ivory (Phyllogeiton discolor) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Phyllogeiton discolor |
| Genus | Phyllogeiton |
| Family | Rhamnaceae |
| Order | Rosales |
| Growth form | Medium to large deciduous or evergreen tree, up to 20 m |
| Native setting | Low-altitude bushveld, usually along river banks |
| Fruit | Ovoid fleshy drupes, yellow to pale orange when ripe |
Phyllogeiton discolor is a southern and eastern African fruit tree known as brown ivory or mountain date. GBIF treats Phyllogeiton discolor as the accepted species and matches Berchemia discolor as a synonym.[1] The alternative name remains common in regional botanical material: Kew records the current treatment that places Berchemia discolor under Phyllogeiton discolor, while also documenting continued alternative usage.[2]
Description[edit | edit source]
The tree is described as medium to large, reaching about 20 m, and may be deciduous or evergreen. It has opposite elliptic leaves and greenish-yellow flowers in the leaf axils. Its recorded habitat is low-altitude bushveld, commonly beside rivers, across a broad range extending from southern and eastern Africa into parts of central and northeastern Africa.[3]
The fruit is an ovoid, fleshy drupe. It ripens from yellow to pale orange and is reported in the South African profile during January–July. The seasonal timing should be read as a regional record rather than a fixed calendar for every climate.[3]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
River-bank habitat and the published nursery method point to a root zone that can hold moisture while remaining well drained. For seed, use fresh material in river sand and compost mixed at 5:1; after germination, transplant seedlings into a well-drained mixture of river sand, loam, and compost at 2:2:1.[3]
The profile describes the species as drought resistant, but that does not establish a fixed irrigation interval or remove the need for regular moisture during establishment. A reasonable site-level inference is to prioritize drainage and give young plants dependable water while they root, then lengthen the interval only after growth is established. Avoid treating drought resistance as evidence for tolerance of prolonged dry-down in a container.[3]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
The species occurs in low-altitude bushveld and along river banks, a combination of seasonally exposed vegetation and locally moist conditions. As an ecological cultivation inference, provide strong light with good airflow while keeping the root zone from staying waterlogged. A position with reliable atmospheric moisture or irrigation is a closer starting point than a permanently dry, enclosed site, but the supplied species account gives no measured shade or humidity threshold.[3]
The reported frost sensitivity makes protection from frost important. The profile recommends frost-free areas; no temperature limit should be inferred from that warning.[3]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
Flowering is recorded from October to January and fruit is reported from January to July in the South African account. The plant may be deciduous or evergreen, so the amount of leaf loss can vary with provenance and local seasonality.[3]
In cultivation, maintain steadier irrigation through active leaf growth, flowering, and fruit development, then moderate it during a cooler or drier interval without allowing young plants to become severely dry. This seasonal adjustment is a practical inference from the species' river-bank habitat, drought-resistance description, and regional fruiting calendar rather than a fixed schedule.[3]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Fresh seed is the documented propagation route. Sow it in river sand and compost at a 5:1 ratio. Once seedlings have germinated, transplant them into a well-drained 2:2:1 mixture of river sand, loam, and compost.[3] The account does not provide a germination interval, seed-storage life, or a transplant-age threshold, so fresh seed and the stated media are the useful starting parameters.
The supplied cultivation account does not document cuttings, grafting, rootstock choice, suckering, or a controlled propagation comparison. The species should therefore not be assigned a cutting success rate or grafting protocol from related Rhamnaceae.
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
Greenish-yellow flowers are borne in the leaf axils, with flowering recorded from October to January in the South African profile. Fleshy ovoid drupes appear from January to July and ripen yellow to pale orange.[3] In that regional context, the change toward yellow or pale orange is a useful visual harvest cue; local flowering and harvest dates will shift with climate.
No bearing age, pollination requirement, or yield measure is established in the supplied account. Avoid using the presence of flowers on one tree as evidence of a universal pollination system.
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The fruit is described as edible and very sweet. Traditional uses include brewing it into beer and incorporating it into pleasantly flavoured porridge.[3] These are documented food-use descriptions, not a comprehensive toxicology or food-safety assessment; the fruit should not be presented as universally safe on this evidence alone.
Photos[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Berchemia discolor Kruger-NP.jpg — Brown ivory (Phyllogeiton discolor) in Kruger National Park, South Africa; photograph by Mammalwatcher; CC0 / Creative Commons Zero; file page. No attribution is required, but the creator and source are retained here.
- Phyllogeiton discolor 1DS-II 3-2676.jpg — Developing fruit near Thengwe, Venda, Limpopo, South Africa; photograph by SAplants; CC BY-SA 4.0; file page. Attribution and ShareAlike terms apply.
