47.214.193.24: Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance

2026-09-30T20:55:22Z

Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance

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{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Shakama plum (''Hexalobus monopetalus'')
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Hexalobus monopetalus''
|-
! Common names
| Shakama plum; baboon's breakfast; wild custard apple; shakamapruim
|-
! Genus
| [[Hexalobus]]
|-
! Family
| [[Annonaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Magnoliales]]
|-
! Habit
| Deciduous shrub or small tree, 2–9 m
|-
! Native setting
| Sandy bushveld, woodland, savanna, rocky outcrops, riverine thicket and hillsides
|-
! Fruit
| Scarlet, cylindrical to obovoid; 15–50 × 10–25 mm
|-
! Fruit season
| January–April
|-
! Propagation
| Seed
|}

''Hexalobus monopetalus'' is an accepted species of [[Annonaceae]]; the same binomial is listed independently in the Kew taxonomic backbone. A 2011 publication is devoted to a revision of the African genus ''Hexalobus''.[[#cite_note-1|[1]]][[#cite_note-2|[2]]][[#cite_note-3|[3]]] It is known as shakama plum, baboon's breakfast, wild custard apple and shakamapruim.

== Description ==

This species is a deciduous shrub or small tree, usually 2–9 m tall. Its leaves are leathery. The fruits are scarlet and cylindrical to obovoid, measuring about 15–50 × 10–25 mm.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]

The native settings include sandy bushveld, woodland, savanna, rocky outcrops, riverine thicket and hillsides, from sea level to about 1,600 m. This broad range describes habitat, not a single guaranteed cultivation climate.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]

== Cultivation ==

=== Soil and water ===

The species is recorded from sandy bushveld and rocky settings as well as riverine thicket. A regional account gives roughly 750–1,300 mm annual rainfall and records the plant in sandy, sandy-clay-loam and sandy-loam soils.[[#cite_note-5|[5]]] The species-specific growing guidance uses a well-drained medium for seed; taken together with those habitats, a well-drained sandy or sandy-loam planting site is a reasonable starting point. That is a habitat-based cultivation inference, not a measured soil or water tolerance.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]][[#cite_note-5|[5]]]

A dated field observation near Phalaborwa recorded an approximately 2 m tree among rocks in sandy soil. It is useful setting context, but does not establish a universal soil requirement or a watering schedule.[[#cite_note-6|[6]]]

=== Sun and humidity ===

The documented habitat spans open savanna and woodland, rocky outcrops and more sheltered riverine thicket.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]] Bright light with good airflow is therefore a reasonable starting point for cultivation, but this is a habitat-based inference rather than a measured light or humidity limit.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]

=== Seasonal changes ===

The tree is deciduous. In the southern-hemisphere setting of the species account, flowers appear around August–September and fruits ripen mainly from January to April.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]] In other climates, use the sequence of spring flowering followed by summer-to-autumn ripening as the useful phenology benchmark rather than treating those month names as universal. The documented sources do not establish a fixed irrigation schedule; keep the planting medium well drained as seasonal wetness changes.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]][[#cite_note-5|[5]]]

== Propagation ==

Propagation is mainly by seed. To prepare seed, cut away the tough outer covering to expose it, then sow in a well-drained medium. Under the described nursery method, about 80% germinated within one to three months; the provenance and full protocol behind that figure are not given, so it should be treated as a reference result rather than a guaranteed rate.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

Flowering is recorded for August–September, followed by a January–April fruiting and ripening period. Fruits may be harvested before full development and allowed to continue ripening. Fruit is often insect-infested, so inspect individual fruits carefully before use.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]

== Fruit and uses ==

Ripe pulp is described as bright yellow with a sweet, pleasantly acidic flavor. Fruit is eaten raw or cooked and is also used for jam.[[#cite_note-4|[4]]][[#cite_note-5|[5]]] Descriptions of pulp and fruit details vary between accounts, so color and eating quality should be treated as variable rather than as a fixed cultivar character. No medicinal or food-safety claim is established here.

== References ==

* [[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/match?name=Hexalobus%20monopetalus GBIF species match: ''Hexalobus monopetalus'']. Retrieved 30 September 2026.

* [[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://powo.science.kew.org/results?q=Hexalobus%20monopetalus Plants of the World Online search result: ''Hexalobus monopetalus'']. Retrieved 30 September 2026.

* [[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://doi.org/10.1600/036364411X553108 Revision of the African Genus Hexalobus (Botermans et al., 2011)].

* [[#cite_ref-4|↑]] '''[4]''' [https://pza.sanbi.org/hexalobus-monopetalus Hexalobus monopetalus]. PlantZAfrica, South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 30 September 2026.

* [[#cite_ref-5|↑]] '''[5]''' [https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Hexalobus+monopetalus Hexalobus monopetalus]. Useful Tropical Plants. Retrieved 30 September 2026.

* [[#cite_ref-6|↑]] '''[6]''' [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10959664 Chris Wahlberg, “Baboon's Breakfast observation, R526 Phalaborwa”]. iNaturalist observation, 19 February 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2026.

[[Category:Fruit plants]]
[[Category:Annonaceae]]

Hexalobus monopetalus - Revision history

47.214.193.24: Wikifruit: independently reviewed article maintenance