Family Phyllanthaceae
Flueggea virosa is a dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants), multistemmed, fast-growing, bushy shrub, 2-3 m but sometimes a spreading tree up to 4 m high, with some small, thorn-like branches. The bark is reddish brown to brown. The leaves are green, crowded along the branchlets. It bears very small flowers which are creamy green. Fruit are white and fleshy and appear in December-March. Flowering time: October-January.
Flueggea virosa is not threatened but is not immune to future loss due to many factors. People from the Vhembe region in Limpopo often cut the living branches and dry them to make fire. Many plants removed when clearing land for farming.
Flueggea virosa is common in deciduous woodland and on forest margins, along rivers and in rocky areas. It is widely distributed in the southern Africa region. In South Africa it occurs naturally in Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. It also occurs in Zimbabwe and Tanzania. It can survive hot and dry areas and also survive mild frost. It has naturalized in Hawaii, Taiwan and in Haiku, Maui in China. It is currently a problem plant in these areas. In China it is known as Chinese waterberry.
Ecology
A variety of insects such as wasps and bees pollinate the flower. Seeds are dispersed by animals and birds. The leaves are browsed by goats. It is also larval food for Charaxes butterflies.
Uses and cultural aspects
The slender branches are used to make fish traps. The small fruit is sweet and eaten by people, animals and birds when ripe. The roots and fruits are believed to be an effective snakebite remedy. Roots of this plant are also used in some African communities as contraceptives and for the treatment of syphilis, gonorrhoea, rheumatism, sterility, rashes, and an infusion of the root is taken to relieve malaria. The bark is believed to provide a treatment for diarrhoea and pneumonia.
