Maerua juncea Pax
subsp. juncea

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Christon Bank

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Synonyms:	Maerua flagellaris (Oliv.) Gilg & Gilg-Ben. Maerua nervosa var. flagellaris Oliv.
Common names:	Smooth-fruit bush-cherry (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Woody climber or scrambling shrub, growing into the canopy of other trees and shrubs. Leaves alternate, grey-green, 1-3 foliolate, narrowly elliptic to ovate, rounded at the apex but with a bristle-tip. Flowers clustered near the ends of branches, white with very small petals and a hemispherical head of long, conspicuous stamens. Fruits ellipsoid with a smooth surface, green to orange when ripe. See subsp. crustata, which is only easily distinguished when in fruit, these being very rough-skinned, resembling small lemons.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	juncea: Juncus- or rush-like
Habitat:	In areas of hot and dry Acacia woodland as well as Brachystegia woodland.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Sep - Nov
Worldwide distribution:	Botswana, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution:	N,T,MS,GI
Growth form(s):	Climber, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Monday 17 December 2007
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 123. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 161. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 25. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 238. 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. Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 47. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 44. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 203. Wild, H. (1960). Capparaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Pages 218 - 219.

Other sources of information about Maerua juncea subsp. juncea:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Maerua juncea subsp. juncea
Flora of Caprivi: Maerua juncea subsp. juncea
Flora of Malawi: Maerua juncea subsp. juncea
Flora of Zambia: Maerua juncea subsp. juncea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Maerua juncea subsp. juncea

External websites:

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