Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Vangueria infausta - Wild Medlar

Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds, Leaves

A shrub or small deciduous tree. It grows to 3 or 4.5 m tall. It can be 7 m tall. It has a smooth grey trunk. The bark becomes rough with age. The branches are short and stout. They are soft and covered with red hair when young. The leaves are light green and leathery. The leaves are 5-30 cm long and 3.8-18 cm wide. They are often egg-shaped. The tips can be round or blunt and they are densely hairy. The veins are like nets. The flowers are greenish-white or yellow. They are small. They grow in clusters. The fruit are round and 3.8 cm across. They have a shallow crown on top and are covered with a light brown leathery skin. They have 3 seeds inside. Each seed is in a separate compartment.

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands and the highlands. It grows on stony and sandy ground. It grows in shady places. It can tolerate frost. It can tolerate drought. It grows between 10-3,333 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.