Strychnos spinosa

Strychnos spinosa Lam.

Common names

Spiny monkey orange (English); kamino, mapuma-nguluibe, musaye (Bemba); sansa (Bemba/Kunda); dzayi, mzayi, maye, mwaye, mkhuyukhuyu, mtembe, mtonga, mzimbili (Nyanja); muzimbili, temya (Tumbuka).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Strychnos spinosa is a small tree, typically 4-5 m tall, but up to 10 m in height. It is most easily recognised by its large, hard-shelled ‘monkey oranges’ and its curved, opposite pairs of thorns. Bark grey-brown, reticulate but not corky. Young branchlets minutely hairy. Spines curved, in opposite pairs, typically 7-8 mm long. Leaves simple, opposite with distinctive leaf venation arising from the base of the leaf. Leaf up to 6 x 4 cm, orbicular to ovate-elliptic, apex sub-acute. Leaves glossy green above, paler below, leathery, ±hairy, margin entire. Petiole 3-10 mm long. Flowers greenish white, 5-6 mm long, produced on short lateral stalks in compact heads 3.5-4 cm in diameter (September-November). Fruit spherical, hard-shelled, indehiscent ‘pod’, 9-12 cm in diameter, resembling an orange, and ripening from green to yellow-brown. Fruit contains up to 100 pale seeds surrounded by a sweet edible pulp (November-December).

Strychnos spinosa can be confused with S. cocculoides, but the latter species has distinct corky bark.

Range and habitat

Strychnos spinosa occurs throughout tropical and sub-tropical Africa. In the Luangwa Valley, it is primarily associated with riverine fringe woodland and thicket.