''Dovyalis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s and small

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s. Recent genetic evidence has shown the genus to belong to the family

Salicaceae The Salicaceae are the willow family of flowering plants. The traditional family (Salicaceae ''sensu stricto'') includes the willows, poplars. Genetic studies summarized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) have greatly expanded the circumsc ...

; formerly it was classified in the family

Flacourtiaceae The Flacourtiaceae is a defunct family of flowering plants whose former members have been scattered to various families, mostly to the Achariaceae and Salicaceae. It was so vaguely defined that hardly anything seemed out of place there and it bec ...

. The 15 species are native to Africa (Ethiopia south to South Africa) and southern Asia (India, Sri Lanka). Some are cultivated for their fruit.

Description

Species of the genus ''Dovyalis'' are dense, thorny plants growing to 3–6 m tall, with sharp, 3–6 cm long stem spines in the leaf

axil A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...

s. Buds at the base of the spine produce clusters of alternately arranged simple ovate

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

3–10 cm long. The

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are inconspicuous, solitary or clustered, with no petals. They are

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is an edible, yellow to purple globose

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

2–4 cm diameter, containing several small

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s. They are very juicy and with an

acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...

ic flavour.

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Dovyalis'': *'' Dovyalis abyssinica'' *''

Dovyalis caffra ''Dovyalis afra'', commonly known as the Kei apple, is a small to medium-sized tree, native to southern Africa. Its distribution extends from the Kei River in the south, from which the common name derives, northwards along the eastern side of t ...

'' *'' Dovyalis cameroonensis'' *'' Dovyalis hebecarpa'' *'' Dovyalis hispidula'' *'' Dovyalis keniensis'' *'' Dovyalis longispina'' *'' Dovyalis lucida'' *'' Dovyalis macrocalyx'' *'' Dovyalis macrocarpa'' *'' Dovyalis mollis'' *'' Dovyalis revoluta'' *''

Dovyalis rhamnoides ''Dovyalis'' is a genus of shrubs and small trees. Recent genetic evidence has shown the genus to belong to the family Salicaceae; formerly it was classified in the family Flacourtiaceae. The 15 species are native to Africa (Ethiopia south to So ...

'' *'' Dovyalis rotundifolia'' *'' Dovyalis spinosissima'' *'' Dovyalis verrucosa'' *'' Dovyalis xanthocarpa'' *'' Dovyalis zenkeri'' *'' Dovyalis zeyheri''

Cultivation and uses

Several species are grown for their fruit; '' D. caffra'' (Umkokola or Kei-apple) is popular in southern Africa, and '' D. hebecarpa'' (Kitembilla) in India and Sri Lanka. Some, notably ''D. abyssinica'', are also grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

s and as

hedge A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced (3 feet or closer) shrubs and sometimes trees, planted and trained to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area, such as between neighbouring properties. Hedges that are used to separate ...

s, where the spines are valued for deterring intrusion by

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

burglar Burglary, also called breaking and entering (B&E) or housebreaking, is a property crime involving trespass to land, the illegal entry into a building or other area without permission, typically with the intention of committing a further criminal ...

s. The

tropical apricot The tropical apricot or ketcot is a hybrid thorny shrub cultivated for its fruit. It arose naturally in Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders ...

, or ketcot, is a hybrid between '' D. hebecarpa'' and '' D. abyssinica'' that was developed in Florida in 1953 and is cultivated for its fruit.

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q611140 Salicaceae genera Dioecious plants Taxa named by George Arnott Walker Arnott