Syzygium guineense
Syzygium guineense | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Syzygium |
Species: | S. guineense
|
Binomial name | |
Syzygium guineense | |
Synonyms[2] | |
|
Syzygium guineense (Bambara: Kokisa) is a leafy forest tree of the family Myrtaceae, found in many parts of Africa both wild and domesticated. Both its fruits and leaves are edible; the pulp and the fruit skin are sucked and the seed discarded. It is sometimes called "waterberry", but this may also refer to other species of Syzygium.
Description
Syzygium guineense can grow as a tree, a shrub, or a
Range and habitat
Syzygium guineense ranges widely through sub-Saharan Africa, and is also present in the southwestern Arabian Peninsula.[2]
It grows in a range of habitats, including lowland and montane forests, forest edges, woodlands, humid savannas, swamps, and mangrove edges, from sea level up to 2,500 meters elevation.[1] It prefers moist soils with a high water table beside rivers, but will also grow in open woodland.[3]
Uses
In southern Ethiopia S. guineense is a much-appreciated shade tree for both the homestead and the home garden.[3] It is considered a famine food, eaten by subsistence farmers when their crops fail.[4]
Classification
Syzygium guineense is a highly variable species, leading to debate concerning its taxonomy, including its subspecies.
References
- ^ . Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ a b Syzygium guineense (Willd.) DC. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 30 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Wild Food" Plans with "Famine Foods" Components: Syzgium guineense (Famine Food Guide website)
- ^ Yves Guinand and Dechassa Lemessa, "Wild-Food Plants in Southern Ethiopia: Reflections on the role of 'famine-foods' at a time of drought" Archived 2010-10-11 at the Wayback Machine UN-OCHA Report, March 2000 (accessed 15 January 2009)
- ^ Paul Smith and Quentin Allen, Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Miombo Woodlands (Kew, 2004)
- ^ "Tropicos - Name Search". www.tropicos.org. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
- ^ Syzygium staudtii (Engl.) Mildbr. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 30 March 2023.