Catunaregum spinosa

Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb.) Tirveng. (Xeromphis obovata (Hochst.) Keay

Common names

Thorny bone apple (English); chipembele, mulasa-kubili (Kunda); muchingazuba (Kunda/Nyanja); chipembele, chipisya-wago, chigwenembe, msondoka, mlasaku-wili (Nyanja).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

A deciduous, sparsely branched shrub, small tree or climber with sharp, straight spines and opposite leaves in clusters on spur branchlets. Bark of branchlets is densely velvety and green. The opposite spines occur above the spurs bearing the leaves. Leaves: Simple, opposite, obovate to spatulate, produced on short, stout side branches. Leaves are velvety to woolly on both surfaces, with 6-8 pairs o lateral veins giving the leaf a quilted appearance. Leaves are hugely variable in size, typically 2-4 x 1-2.5cm but can be much larger on young shrubs. Flowers appearing before the new leaves, bell-shaped, white to cream-coloured and up to 2cm in diameter. Produced singly or in groups of up to three (November-January). Fruit a spherical, velvety ‘apple’, 1.5-2.5 x 1-2.5cm, borne on a stalk 4-10mm long; green, turning yellow as it ripens (January-May).

Range and habitat

The taxonomy of Catunaregam spinosa is disputed. Here, we treat what was Xeromphis obovata as a synonym as Catunaregam spinosa, which is a widespread species found in Asia as well as Africa. Other authors regard the African species of Catunaregam as distinct from the Asian C.spinosa. In the Luangwa valley, this species is associated with hill miombo woodland, Combretum-Terminalia woodland and Combretum-Terminalia-Diospyros wooded grassland.