Maerua edulis (Gilg & Gilg-Ben.) DeWolf

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Photo: Colin Wenham
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road along Save river to Save-Runde confluence, Gonarezhou National Park.

Photo: Mark Hyde
Camp by Turgwe River, Humani Ranch

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Synonyms:	Courbonia decumbens Brongn. Courbonia glauca (Klotzsch) Gilg & Gilg-Ben. Maerua decumbens (Brongn.) De Wolf Physanthemum glaucum Klotzsch
Common names:	Blue bush-cherry (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Suffrutex or small shrub, usually not more than 1 m tall but occasionally up to 2 m, branching near the base. All parts covered in a pale bluish-grey waxy layer that rubs off, hairless. Leaves alternate, ovate, up to 3 × 2 cm, hairless; apex rounded, bristle-tipped; margin entire. Flowers solitary, axillary. Sepals yellowish to whitish-green; stamens numerous, c. 2 cm long. Fruit round, up to 3 cm long, smooth, bluish-green to orange-yellow when ripe.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	Occurring in hot and dry woodland, often with Colophospermum mopane.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Sep - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Mozambique distribution:	N,T,MS,GI,M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Saturday 31 January 2009
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 159. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 238. As Courbonia glauca Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 32. As maerua decumbens Wild, H. (1960). Capparaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Pages 214 - 216. As Courbonia glauca (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Maerua edulis:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Maerua edulis
Flora of Zambia: Maerua edulis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Maerua edulis

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Maerua edulis
African Plant Database: Maerua edulis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Maerua edulis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Maerua edulis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Maerua edulis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Maerua edulis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Maerua edulis
JSTOR Plant Science: Maerua edulis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Maerua edulis
Plants of the World Online: Maerua edulis
Tropicos: Maerua edulis
Wikipedia: Maerua edulis