Water Ironplum

mossambicensis: of Mozambique

Shrub or small to medium-sized tree, deciduous or near evergreen depending on the habitat. Leaves alternate, elliptic-oblong to oblanceolate, tapering or attenuate, up to 11 cm long, shiny bright green above, somewhat blue-green below, asymmetric at the base; margin sub-entire or widely and shallowly serrate. Flowers unisexual on different trees, female flowers solitary, male flowers in small axillary clusters, yellowish-green, scented. Fruits ellipsoid, somewhat fleshy, c. 1.5 cm long, yellow to orange when ripe, tipped by two old style branches.

Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, S Africa