Grewia bicolor Juss.

white raisin

Afr

witrosyntjie

isiZulu

umlalampunzi, imdliwampunzi

IsiXhosa

Description

Family:

Malvaceae

Order:

Malvales

Description

Multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, up to 9 m tall. Bark smooth grey when young, becoming dark grey, deeply fissured, peeling in strips with age. Young branchlets velvety grey or brown. Leaves alternate, simple, elliptic to ovate, 15 – 80 × 10 – 32 mm, glossy green above, silvery hairy below, margins entire to slightly serrated. Flowers small, bright yellow, in axillary clusters, often profuse, flowering Oct – Mar. Fruits round fleshy drupes, reddish-brown/orange to black when ripe, 6 mm diameter, edible but astringent.

Plant Details

Height

Up to 9 m

Thorns

Absent

Soil

Adaptable; clay to sandy soils

Moderate

Growth Rate

Up to 9 m

Size

Several decades

Lifespan

Flower Colour

Flowering Season

, ,

Horticultural Zones

Neutral

pH

Adaptable; clay to sandy soils

Soil

Full sun to partial shade

Aspect

Moderate

Frost Tolerance

High

Drought Resistance

Companion Plants

Often associated with mopane and termite mounds

Caterpillars

Wood used for axe handles and sticks; bark for fibre; roots for chest complaints; fruit eaten during food shortages.

Associations

Descriptions

Fruits eaten by birds and mammals; leaves browsed by game and livestock; flowers attract bees and butterflies.

Flowers and fruits

Bright yellow flowers; fleshy edible fruits, often parasitized.

Birds

Food source for frugivorous birds; shelter for insects and small animals

By Seeds:

Seeds collected from ripe fruits; sow fresh; germination moderate to good

By Cuttings:

Difficult; mainly propagated by seed

Traditional Uses

Plant Details

Height

Description

Thorns

Description

Leaves

Description

Size

Growth Form

Size

Size

Size

Lifespan

Size

Flower Colour

Size

Flowering Season

Size

Horticultural Zones

Size

pH

Size

Soil

Size

Aspect

Size

Frost Tolerance

Size

Drought Resistance

Description

DESCRIPTION

Height

DESCRIPTION

Leaves

DESCRIPTION

Thorns

DESCRIPTION

BSS

Ecoscore

Host plant Nectar Grazing

Link to PlantzAfrica.co.za

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Distribution

Companion Plants

Description

Caterpillars

Associations

Leaves

Leaves

Flowers and fruits

Leaves

Birds

Leaves

Mammals

Leaves

By Seeds:

Leaves

By Cuttings:

Leaves

Traditional Uses

traditional uses