Strychnos spinosa
| Strychnos spinosa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Strychnos spinosa[1] |
| Common names | Natal orange, Kaffir orange, monkey orange, mokotra[2][3] |
| Genus | Strychnos[1] |
| Family | Loganiaceae[1] |
| Order | Gentianales[1] |
| Growth form | Thorny, often multi-stemmed deciduous shrub or small tree, usually 4–5 m and sometimes about 10 m[4] |
| Native habitat | Dry woodland, thickets, bushveld, riverine fringes, sand forest, and coastal bush in tropical Africa[4] |
| Climate and site | Full sun or some shade; well-drained sandy or rocky soil[4] |
| Propagation | Seed propagation is documented, with rapid growth from seed[4] |
| Fruit | Sweet-sour yellow pulp around numerous hard seeds; the ripe fleshy covering is edible but the seeds are poisonous[5] |
| Flowering and fruiting | Flowers recorded from September to February; fruit develops after good rains and ripens from green to yellow[4] |
Strychnos spinosa is a thorny deciduous African shrub or small tree known as Natal orange, Kaffir orange, monkey orange, or mokotra. It bears hard-skinned fruit with sweet-sour yellow pulp around numerous seeds. The ripe fleshy covering is eaten, but the seeds are poisonous.[2][3][4]
Description[edit | edit source]
The plant is usually a 4–5 m multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, with individuals sometimes reaching about 10 m. It is thorny and deciduous, and its leaves turn yellow before falling. The flowers are greenish-white and occur in dense heads. The hard fruit ripens from green to yellow and contains tightly packed seeds surrounded by a fleshy covering.[4]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
In its native range, Strychnos spinosa occurs in dry woodland, thickets, bushveld, riverine fringes, sand forest, and coastal bush. It grows in well-drained sandy or rocky soils. A habitat-based cultivation inference is to favor free drainage rather than persistent waterlogging, including where the plant grows near seasonal riverine habitat.[4]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Full sun is suitable, and some shade is tolerated. A habitat-based cultivation inference is that bright light with limited shade during establishment is a reasonable starting point, with airflow maintained around the plant.[4]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
Strychnos spinosa is deciduous, and PlantZAfrica records greenish-white flowers from September to February. Fruit appears after good rains and changes from green to yellow as it ripens. These observations describe a rain-linked seasonal rhythm rather than a universal calendar for every growing climate; monitor flowering and fruit development against local rainfall and temperature.[4]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seed propagation is documented, with rapid growth from seed reported for this species.[4]
The seeds are poisonous, so planting material should be kept separate from food preparation. Edibility of the ripe fleshy covering does not extend to the seeds.[3][4]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
Greenish-white flowers are produced in dense heads from September to February in the South African record. Fruit follows good rains and ripens from green to yellow. The field observations support using skin colour and pulp ripeness as harvest cues, while the calendar should be adjusted to the local wet-season pattern rather than applied as a fixed date range.[4]
During storage, the peel changes from green to yellow and the fruit shows climacteric ethylene and carbon-dioxide production. Soluble solids increase slightly, while titratable acidity and pH do not change significantly in the postharvest study.[5]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The ripe fruit has juicy, sweet-sour yellow pulp surrounding numerous hard brown seeds. The fleshy covering is eaten as a wild fruit in parts of tropical and subtropical Africa, but the seeds are poisonous, so the edible-use description applies only to the ripe pulp and not to the seed-bearing parts.[3][4]
The postharvest study identified sucrose, glucose, and fructose as the main sugars and citric and malic acids as the main acids. These composition findings describe the fruit and do not establish effects or safe uses for other plant parts.[5]
Photos[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [2] Strychnos spinosa.
- ↑ [5] Characterization of monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa Lam.), a potential new crop for arid regions.
Image credits[edit | edit source]
The summary image is File:Strychnos spinosa tree.jpg, showing a Strychnos spinosa tree in north-eastern Zimbabwe. The file is by Damien Farrell and is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. The fruit image in Photos is File:Strychnos spinosa - Flickr - Ragnhild & Neil Crawford.jpg, credited to Ragnhild & Neil Crawford and licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.
