Diospyros senensis

Diospyros senensis Klotzsch

Common names

Spiny jackal berry (English); kafulukalume (Bemba, Kunda); kaonga, kawonga (Kunda); chimwande, kawonga, chirima, mdima, mpinjipinji, mtunga-njila (Nyanja).

The recorded Kunda/Nyanja name ‘kawonga’ may be a case of mistaken identity (cf. Feretia aeruginescens). Alternatively, it is possible that both species are used for making spears, which I was informed was the origin of the name ‘kawonga’.

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Diospyros senensis is a deciduous shrub with many stems, 3-5 m tall. Older stems are fluted. Bark light grey, smooth and peeling, with a blotchy appearance; the older branches carry sharp pointed spines which are modified shoots. Leaves simple, alternate, leathery, 4-12 x 2-5 cm; leaves obovate or narrowly obovate, apex rounded or obtuse, shiny mid to dark green above, paler below, densely hairy to almost hairless, depending on the age of the leaf. Older leaves turn yellow and are susceptible to some kind of leaf spot, manifest as dark brown spots on the leaf surfaces. Petiole 3-10 mm long, stout, with a grooved upper surface. Flowers creamy white, fragrant, up to 7 mm long. Doecious. Male flowers are produced in cymes of 3-5 while the female flowers are solitary or in 2s and 3s. Flowers are produced in the axils of the leaves (November-December). Fruit a yellow to orange-brown ‘acorn’, ovoid and typically 2.2 x 2 cm, with a persistent, cup-like calyx up to 1 cm long. Fruits ripen April-June.

Range and habitat

Diospyros senensis forms dense thickets on sandy alluvial soil and is confined to hot low valley areas of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. In the valley, it is found in sandy riverine areas and in Mixed alluvial thicket.