Forest Bush-cherry
Maerua racemulosa (DC.) Gilg & Gilg-Ben.
Maerua racemulosa is a member of the Capparaceae family, native to South Africa's coastal areas. It is commonly known as Forest Bush-cherry. This species grows in shady forest understories and valley bushveld. It is a shrub or small tree with simple leaves and entire margins. The plant flowers in mid-winter with numerous white filaments and a purple style, but no petals. The fruit is round, yellow when ripe, and 1 cm in diameter, appearing from August to October. It serves as a food source for certain Colotis butterfly species.
Description
Maerua racemulosa (DC.) Gilg & Gilg-Ben. is a plant species in the Capparaceae family. It is primarily found in South Africa's coastal regions, particularly in the Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, and Swaziland. This species is a shrub or small tree with simple, entire-margined leaves. It produces flowers in mid-winter, characterized by white filaments and a purple style, but no petals. The fruit, which appears from August to October, is round, yellow when ripe, and measures 1 cm in diameter. The plant is an important food source for some Colotis butterfly species. First described in 1915, it is part of the forest understory and valley bushveld ecosystems.
Other common names
Forest Bush-cherry
Distribution
Global · Cape Provinces · KwaZulu-Natal · Swaziland
Synonyms
Maerua undulataNiebuhria acutifoliaNiebuhria undulataBoscia afraBoscia undulataCapparis racemulosaCapparis undulataMaerua pedunculosaNiebuhria pedunculosaBoscia caffra
