Manilkara mochisia (Baker) Dubard

Sapotaceae, F. K. Kupicha. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Habit

Evergreen tree or large bush 3–20 m. tall, with rough dark bark and pendulous branches, said to spread by suckering.

Branches

Branching subterminal, strongly divaricate, often subverticillate; leaves densely clustered at stem apices which are then overtopped by younger branches.

Leaves

Leaves 1·8–9 x 1–3·4 cm., oblong, oblong–obovate or cordate, the apex rounded and emarginate, the base acute; petiole 1–10 mm. long. Upper leaf surface with midrib slightly raised and lateral veins level or impressed; lower surface with prominent midrib and veins level to strongly impressed; leaves often crispate–pubescent below and sometimes also sparsely pubescent above, patchily glabrescent.

Flowers

Flowers abundant, strongly scented, in fascicles of 3–4 per node; pedicels 5–7 mm. long.

Calyx

Calyx c. 3–5 mm. long, the sepals elliptic–ovate.

Corolla

Corolla 3·6–4 mm. long, greenish– or brownish–yellow; basal tube c. 0·4 mm. long; median and lateral segments ± equal in shape and size, narrowly elliptic.

Anthers

Anthers 1·3–1·9 mm. long.

Staminodes

Staminodes very variable even within a single flower, ranging in shape from a small triangular or ovate–dentate scale to a long narrow process exceeding the stamen.

Gynoecium

Gynoecium 2·8–3·6 mm. long.

Fruits

Fruit up to 18 mm. long when ripe, ellipsoid, yellow with red pulp, edible, 1–3–seeded.

Seeds

Seed 8–13 mm. long.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Habit

Small to medium-sized tree with low branching and spreading crown, up to 20 m high, or sometimes a shrub; milky latex not abundant, but usually present in young parts; bark brownish-grey or blackish with longitudinal fissures; branching very irregular with leaves borne mainly in terminal rosettes on spurs; young shoots pubescent with soon disappearing ferruginous indumentum

Leaves

Petiole 2–12(–20) mm long, glabrous or puberulous to pubescent especially when young; blade leathery, elliptic-obovate to obovate, 1.5–6.5(–7.5) x 0.8–3 cm, broadly to narrowly cuneate at the base, often decurrent on petiole, or rarely almost rounded, rounded or emarginate at the apex, glabrous or puberulous to pubescent mainly on lower surface when young; lateral nerves 10–14 on each side, nervation lightly impressed on both surfaces

Inflorescences

Flowers densely clustered in leaf axils; pedicels 6–13 mm long, glabrous to ± densely pubescent

Calyx

Calyx-lobes free almost to base; outer lobes ovate, 2.5–4 x 1.5–3 mm, glabrescent to densely pubescent; inner lobes similar in shape but slightly smaller and pubescent outside

Corolla

Corolla white to pale yellow; tube very short; lobes 3-fid, segments narrowly lanceolate or ligulate, 2–4 mm long

Filaments

Filaments 1.5–2 mm long; anthers 1–2 mm long

Staminodes

Staminodes small, truncate, irregularly toothed at the apex

Ovary

Ovary subglobose, shortly pilose, tapering at apex into simple 2-3 mm long style

Fruits

Fruit yellow when mature with crimson soft edible pulp, subglobose to ellipsoid, up to 1.8 x 1.3 cm, glabrous, 1–3-seeded

Seeds

Seeds dark brown, ellipsoid and compressed, c. 1.3 x 0.8 cm; scar lateral, extending to base.

Distribution

C1, 2; S1–3 Kenya, Tanzania, south through Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe to South Africa (Natal), Botswana and Angola.

Ecology

Altitude range 15–600 m.

Vernacular

Uanei, waney (Somali).