Editing Vepris gerrardii

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Zulu cherry-orange (''Vepris gerrardii'')
|-
! Common names
| Zulu cherry-orange; flaky-barked cherry-orange
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Vepris gerrardii''
|-
! Genus
| [[Vepris]]
|-
! Family
| [[Rutaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Sapindales]]
|-
! Height
| small to medium tree, up to about 5 m
|-
! Flowers
| yellowish green; August to January
|-
! Fruit
| small, fleshy and reddish orange when ripe
|-
! Propagation
| seed
|}

''Vepris gerrardii'' is an accepted species of Rutaceae; ''Teclea gerrardii'' is its former name and synonym.<sup id="cite_ref-1">[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> It is a small to medium southern African tree known as Zulu cherry-orange and flaky-barked cherry-orange. The plant is associated with coastal dune bush, forest and riverine vegetation at low elevations in eastern South Africa and nearby Mozambique and Eswatini.<sup id="cite_ref-2">[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Description ==

The tree reaches about 5 m and has mottled bark that flakes with age. Its leaves are trifoliate and pungently scented. Yellowish-green flowers occur in short axillary inflorescences, with flowering recorded from August to January in the southern African seasonal calendar.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> The small fleshy fruits develop in axillary groups of one to three. They change from velvety green and hairy to reddish orange, hairless and finely lumpy when ripe.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Cultivation ==

=== Soil and water ===

The species grows in coastal dune bush, forest and riverine vegetation, and the horticultural account lists sandy, clay and loam soils with a neutral reaction.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> A habitat-based starting point is a draining soil that does not remain stagnant around the roots, with enough moisture for a young plant to establish. The available account does not provide a fixed irrigation interval or a measured drought limit, so adjust watering to the container or site rather than treating one schedule as universal.

=== Sun and humidity ===

Full sun is listed for cultivation, while the native range includes forest and riverine settings as well as coastal vegetation.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> Begin with strong light and good airflow; in a hot, dry inland position, shelter a young container plant from the most desiccating exposure until its response is known. This is a habitat-based cultivation inference, not a tested species-wide humidity threshold. The species is described as suitable for containers and small gardens.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

=== Seasonal changes ===

Flowering is recorded from August to January, spanning late winter through summer in the southern hemisphere.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> Keep the root zone from drying sharply while a container plant is actively growing or flowering, and monitor moisture more closely during the drier part of the local year. Because no species-specific irrigation or dormancy trial is supplied, use local growth and flowering response rather than a fixed calendar or hardiness threshold.

== Propagation ==

The documented propagation route is seed. Remove the fleshy layer from ripe fruit, allow the cleaned seeds to dry out away from direct sun, and sow them in sterile river sand. Once seedlings are established, the account recommends a growing mixture of river sand, loam and clay.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> This is practical institutional guidance rather than a controlled germination trial, and no germination percentage or bearing-age schedule is given.

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Short axillary inflorescences carry yellowish-green flowers, with flowering recorded from August to January.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> The fruits occur in groups of one to three and change from green, velvety and hairy to reddish orange, hairless and finely lumpy as they ripen.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> Those visible changes provide a practical maturity cue for observation, but a harvest calendar and postharvest storage method have not been established for cultivation.

== Fruit and uses ==

The fruit is fleshy and becomes reddish orange when ripe.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup> Wildlife consumption is recorded, but that observation does not establish human edibility, flavor, toxicity or food safety. The fruit is therefore not presented as a food crop, and no bark-decoction or other medicinal use is recommended here.

== References ==

* <span id="cite_note-1"></span>[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/match?name=Teclea%20gerrardii GBIF species match: Teclea gerrardii].

* <span id="cite_note-2"></span>[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://pza.sanbi.org/teclea-gerrardii Teclea gerrardii | PlantZAfrica].

* <span id="cite_note-3"></span>[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/10329959 GBIF species record: Vepris gerrardii].

[[Category:Fruits]]
[[Category:Vepris]]