Family Malvaceae. Also know as Wild or Velvet Raisin, Brandybush
This rather untidy multi-stemmed, low growing shrubby plant is easy to find with its distinctive greyish green hairy leaves. The underside of the leaves has three prominent veins beginning at the leaf base. Another distinctive feature is that the leaves grow upright or horizontal and do not droop downwards. The Wilderosyntjie is fairly slow growing, frost hardy and drought resistant. It is usually found growing in clusters (or groups).
In the flowering season of October to March, the beautiful sweet-scented star-shaped yellow flowers can be found growing on the angles where the leaves grow on the branches. These in turn make way for the berry-like fruit that starts showing from December to April. The berry fruit is reddish brown in colour when ripe and ready to eat, is sweetish in flavour and has a fairly high sugar content.
On the young branches the bark is grey and hairy, while on the older branches the grey is darker and the hairs are gone to leave a smooth bark finish.
Apart from eating the berry fruit it is also made into a brandy drink (mampoer – only for the brave!). The fruit is also made into a beer. In the Kalahari, the Bushmen/San people make bows from the thicker and longer “elastic” branches and make their arrow shafts from the thin, straight branches.
Walking sticks as well as traditional fighting sticks are made from the long straight branches. Rope is made from the fibres of bark. If you are out overnight in the bush and have forgotten your toothbrush, you could fray the end of a twig and use it to clean your teeth!
Look out for Red-faced and Speckled Mousebirds, Grey Louries, Helmeted Guinea fowl, Francolin (Swainson’s, Crested) and Redcrested or Northern Black Korhaan, that may visit in the fruiting season. The Velvet Raisin is a valuable fodder plant for game (kudu, steenbok and grey duiker) and cattle. The White-cloaked Skipper Butterfly, the Spotted Velvet Skipper Butterfly is also provided for by way of the Grewia flava acting as a host plant for the lava of these Butterflies. Bees also come to the plant in the flowering season to collect the pollen.
