Dovyalis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Malpighiales

Familia: Salicaceae
Tribus: Flacourtieae
Genus: Dovyalis
Species: D. abyssinica – D. caffra – D. hebecarpa – D. hispidula – D. longispina – D. lucida – D. macrocalyx – D. macrocarpa – D. mollis – D. rhamnoides – D. rotundifolia – D. spinosissima – D. verrucosa – D. xanthocarpa – D. zenkeri – D. zeyheri
Name

Dovyalis E.Mey. ex Arn., J. Bot. (Hooker) 3: 251. (1841)

Type species: Dovyalis rhamnoides Burch. ex Harv. & Sond., Fl. Cap. (Harvey) 1: 69. (1860) Originally designated as Dovyalis zizyphoides E. Mey. ex Arn., J. Bot. (Hooker) 3: 251. (1841) nom. illeg. non Flacourtia rhamnoides Burch. ex D.C., Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 1: 256. (1824).

References

Meyer, E.H.F. 1841. Journal of Botany, (Being a Second Series of the Botanical Miscellany), Containing Figures and Descriptions 3: 251.
Hassler, M. 2018. Dovyalis. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2018. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2018 July 30). Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2018. Dovyalis. Published online. Accessed: July 30 2018.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Dovyalis in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

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 South Africa) and southern Asia (India, Sri Lanka). Some are cultivated for their fruit.
Description

They are dense, thorny plants growing to 3–6 m tall, with sharp, 3–6 cm long stem spines in the leaf axils. Buds at the base of the spine produce clusters of alternately arranged simple ovate leaves 3–10 cm long.

The flowers are inconspicuous, solitary or clustered, with no petals. They are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruit is an edible, yellow to purple globose berry 2–4 cm diameter, containing several small seeds. They are very juicy and with an acidic flavour.
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 plants and as hedges, where the spines are valued for deterring intrusion by livestock or burglars.

The tropical apricot, 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

"Genus Doyvalis". Taxonomy. UniProt. Retrieved 2010-02-03.