African Medlar

Vangueria infausta, the African medlar, is a shrub or small tree of the coffee family, found in woodlands, scrub, valleys and sandy dunes through much of southern and east Africa, including Madagascar. It is low-branching, usually small but sometimes reaching eight metres, with flaky greyish-brown bark, large dull leaves and dense clusters of green flowers in spring; in summer it bears glossy tan fruit like small plums, with soft pulp and fairly large seeds. The fruit tastes pleasantly of apple and is a traditional food plant, eaten raw or dried, and the seeds may be roasted. Its species name, infausta, alludes to a superstition that an evil spirit lives within the tree, and that using the wood as firewood brings misfortune by unlocking the spirit. Traditional healers use the roots and leaves. It has many names in southern African languages, among them mpfilwa in Tsonga, mmilo in Northern Sotho, muzwilu in Venda, umviyo in Southern Ndebele and umtulwa in Zulu.