Vangueria infausta

Vangueria infausta Burch.

Common names

Wild medlar (English); mapoloyakalulu, mchoka, muchoka (Kunda); mungayi (Kunda/Nyanja); chilya-ndembo, kamwazi, machenda-kalulu, mjukutu, mkanda-ndembo, mpuluku-tutu, mziru, mpfilu, muyogoyogo, mvilu (Nyanja).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Vangueria infausta is a deciduous small tree or shrub up to 8 m tall. Bark grey, smooth. Young branchlets velvety hairy with conspicuous leaf scars. Leaves simple, opposite with interpetiolar stipules; elliptic to ovate , typically 9.5 x 5 cm. Both surfaces covered with soft, velvety short hairs, especially when young. Margin entire. Petiole 3-10 mm long. Flowers greenish white, 5 mm in diameter, produced in axillary cymes 2-3 cm long (October-December). Fruit spherical, fleshy, edible 2.5-3.5 cm in diameter. Ripening to a yellowish brown and containing five pyrenes (March-May).

Vangueria infausta can be confused with Vangueria randii, which is found in thicket and Combretum-Terminalia woodland. However, V. randii has glabrous branchlets and leaves.

Range and habitat

Vangueria infausta occurs widely in tropical and subtropical Africa from Cameroon in the north to South Africa in the south. In the Luangwa Valley it is found in valley riverine fringe woodland, mixed alluvial thicket and Combretum thicket.