Dovyalis afra
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Tiger Kloof, Mutare
Photo: Bart Wursten
Tiger Kloof, Mutare
Photo: Bart Wursten
Tiger Kloof, Mutare
Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Photo: Meg Coates Palgrave
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Photo: Rob Burrett
Hillside Dams, Bulawayo
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Aberia caffra Hook. f. |
| Common names: | Kei-apple (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Shrub or small tree. Bark grey, smooth, flaking in square patches on older stems; branches armed with hard straight spines up to 6 cm long. Leaves in tight clusters on dwarf lateral spurs along the branches, narrowly obovate to broadly obovate-elliptic, up to 5 cm long, leathery, dark glossy green above, paler below; margins entire. Flowers in dense clusters on the spur branchlets, small and inconspicuous, creamy-green, stamens numerous. Fruit almost round, fleshy, 3-6 cm in diameter, minutely velvety, apricot coloured when ripe, edible and sought after. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | afra: African. |
| Habitat: | |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | Nov - Jan |
| Worldwide distribution: | Zimbabwe, Eswatini and South Africa as far as the Eastern Cape. |
| FZ divisions: | |
| Growth form(s): | Tree, shrub over 2 m. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | Odontosida magnifica (Food plant) |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 638. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 14. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 762 - 763. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 261. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 53. Under Flacourtiaceae Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 430 - 431. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 75. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 126 - 127. (Includes a picture). Wild, H. (1960). Flacourtiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Page 285. |
Other sources of information about Dovyalis afra:
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Flora of Malawi: Dovyalis afraFlora of Mozambique: Dovyalis afra
Flora of Zimbabwe: Dovyalis afra
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Dovyalis afra
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Dovyalis afraAfrican Plant Database: Dovyalis afra
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Dovyalis afra
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Dovyalis afra
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Dovyalis afra
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iNaturalist: Dovyalis afra
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Dovyalis afra
JSTOR Plant Science: Dovyalis afra
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Dovyalis afra
Plants of the World Online: Dovyalis afra
Tropicos: Dovyalis afra
Wikipedia: Dovyalis afra