Agroforestree Database

Local names:
 Afrikaans (voëlpruim,bruin-ivoor), Amharic (jejeba), English (mountain date,bird plum,brown ivory,dog plum,wild almond), Lozi (mukumba,muzinzila), Nyanja (mziyi,mtacha), Somali (deen), Swahili (mnago), Tigrigna (aba), Tongan (mwii,mwinji), Tswana (mutsin

Berchemia discolor is a shrub or a tree 3-20 m high; with a straight bole; rough, dark grey bark that flakes longitudinally; dense, rounded crown; slash yellow; young branches conspicuously lenticellate; branchlets glabrous to densely pubescent with short, spreading, whitish hairs.

Leaves alternate or sub-opposite, entirely or obscurely crenate, shiny above, dull and glaucous below, broadly elliptic, ovate or obovate-elliptic-lanceolate, 2-9 x 2-5 cm, obtuse or acute at the apex, rounded or cuneate at the base; leaf stalks glabrous or pubescent, 1-1.8 cm long.

Flowers small, solitary, thick, oblong or ellipsoid, 4-5 mm in diameter, greenish when young, turning yellowish after ripening.

Fruit datelike, yellow, up to 20 x 8 mm with 1-2 flat seeds in sweet, edible flesh.

‘Berchemia’ is named after M. Berchem, a French botanist, and ‘discolor’ means with 2 or more colours, referring to the fact that the upper and the lower surfaces are different colours. ‘Dis’ is a Latin prefix meaning ‘2’.

Ecology

B. discolor grows naturally in various climates, from semi-arid areas to areas receiving rainfall in 4 years out of 5. It is found scattered in semi-desert grassland, open woodland or at lower altitudes along river valleys, especially on termite mounds. It is common in riverine forests, Acacia-Commiphora-Balanites woodland and wooded grassland, Acacia woodland and bushland, and the miombo woodlands of Tanzania. B. discolor tolerates drought but is not resistant to frost or cold wind.

Native range
Angola, Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Republic of, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Tree management

Plant groups of trees in protected areas in well-drained soil. B. discolor is a good tree to plant at or near watering points, as its roots are not aggressive. The growth rate is relatively fast, 600-800 mm/year. The tree is often found growing naturally near fertile termite mounds, so applying fertilizer at the time of planting may be useful. Tending the crop should include regular watering, slashing and spot weeding until the plants are well established. Coppicing, pollarding and lopping are all practised.

Seed storage behaviour is orthodox. Viability can be maintained for several years in hermetic storage at 3 deg. C with 7-13% mc. There are about 3000-3500 seeds/kg.

B. discolor grows naturally in various climates, from semi-arid areas to areas receiving rainfall in 4 years out of 5. It is found scattered in semi-desert grassland, open woodland or at lower altitudes along river valleys, especially on termite mounds. It is common in riverine forests, Acacia-Commiphora-Balanites woodland and wooded grassland, Acacia woodland and bushland, and the miombo woodlands of Tanzania. B. discolor tolerates drought but is not resistant to frost or cold wind.

Although rarely, B. discolor can regenerate naturally from seed, coppice or root suckers. Coppice shoots are produced on felled trees, and root suckers after root wounding. It is thought that poor seed germination capacity and destruction of seedlings and saplings by forest fires may be the cause of B. discolor's apparent rare natural regeneration, partial protection of the forest from forest fires could promote this phenomenon.

The ripe fruits are collected from the ground or picked from the tree. Fresh seed can be sown in flat seedling trays filled with a mixture of river sand and compost (5:1). Germination is usually good, between 80-100%; pretreatment of seed, such as scarification or soaking in cold water for 12 hours, enhances germination. The seedlings should be transplanted into black nursery bags filled with a well-drained mixture of river sand, loam and compost (2:2:1). Potted stock must be raised in the nursery and planted in the field, from where the vegetation must be partially cleared as the species is a light demander.

  Humans find the sweet, datelike taste of the fruit quite pleasant. The sugar content of the pulp is as high as 30%, and seeds taste like walnuts. The vitamin C content of the fruit is 65 mg/100 g. The fruit may be eaten boiled with sorghum. A beverage similar to tea is made from the leaves. Large quantities of the fruit are collected, dried and stored and later used by people in the low veld areas of South Africa.

The fruit and leaves can be used as fodder.

Apiculture:  Bees are attracted to the small yellow-green flowers found in loose clusters on the tree. 

Timber:  An important timber species of southern Africa. The sapwood is pale brown; heartwood hard, heavy (air-dry 992 kg/m³) and fine grained, yellow-brown with a reddish tinge. The wood is excellent for making furniture such as tables, chairs and benches and is also used in making poles, pestles and hair combs.

Shade or shelter:  The spreading branches and heavy, rounded crown make B. discolor an effective shade tree; it can also act as a windbreak.

Tannin or dyestuff:  Black dye, popular with basket makers, is produced from powdered heartwood and roots. 

Medicine:  The roots have various medicinal uses.

Gum or resin:  The heartwood produces a resin.

Ornamental: B. discolor is planted as an ornamental. The tree presents a challenge to anyone trying to make a bonsai from it, but if the effort is successful, it is one of the best indigenous trees for this form of art.

Alcohol:  A strong alcoholic drink is distilled from the fruit.