Cordia monoica

Cordia monoica Roxb.

Common names

Muyotamfumu (Kunda/Nyanja).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

A much branched, spreading shrub or small tree 1.5-8 m tall. Bark rather rough, grey, but sometimes smooth and peeling in long strips. Leaves simple, alternate, 2.5-8 x 2-9 cm; elliptic, ovate, obovate or round, with short, scabrid hairs above and white soft pubescence underneath. Margins entire or toothed. Petiole 1.2-5 cm long. Flowers fragrant, tubular, greenish white to yellow, 1-1.2 cm long; produced in axillary or terminal heads up to 6 cm long (September-December). Fruit ovoid, 1-2 cm long, orange to black, with a persistent calyx forming a cup around the lower half of the fruit (December-February).

Range and habitat

Cordia monoica occurs throughout tropical Africa, Arabia and in India and Sri Lanka. It is a ubiquitous species, occurring in a range of different habitats from coastal forest to woodland at over 1800 m. In the Luangwa valley, it is primarily associated with riverine thicket.