Carissa tetramera (Sacleux) Stapf

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Photo: Theo van der Merwe
Farm Bokplaas, Inhassoro, on the Temane gasfield

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road to Levasflor, Cheringoma

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road to Mpawe Village,Coutada 12, Cheringoma

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Arduina tetramera Sacleux
Common names:	Sand num-num (English)
Frequency:	Occasional
Status:	Native
Description:	Usually a multi-stemmed shrub up to 3 m tall. Bark pale grey, flaking; branches armed with opposite, forked slender spines up to 5 cm long; all parts with milky sap. Leaves opposite, elliptic, lanceolate, ovate to almost round, up to 6.5 cm long, shiny dark green above, sharply tipped at the apex, sometimes slightly velvety; margin entire. Flowers in terminal clusters or in the axils of the spines, white, often tinged pink, strongly scented; corolla 4-lobed. Fruit ellipsoid, c. 1 cm long, red to purple-black hen ripe, edible.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	tetramera: in four parts, referring to the flowers.
Habitat:	In dry open woodland.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Oct - May
Worldwide distribution:	Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Mozambique distribution:	N,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:	Friday 18 May 2018
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 795. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 25. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 268. Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. & Kupicha, F.K. et al. (1985). Apocynaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(2) Pages 400 - 401. 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 18. Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 23.

Other sources of information about Carissa tetramera:

Our websites:

Flora of Zimbabwe: Carissa tetramera

External websites:

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