Scie

ntifi

c n

am

e: P

arin

ari

cur

ate

llifo

liaFa

mily

: Chr

yso

ba

lanc

ea

eC

om

mo

n na

me

s:

Mo

bo

la

plu

m,

gry

sap

pe

l, b

osa

pp

el,

Mm

ola

, M

bul

wa

, M

ob

ola

, M

uvhu

la,

Umkh

una

Ori

gin

an

d d

istr

ibu

tio

nM

ob

ola

plu

m is

na

tive

to

Afri

ca

. It

is w

ide

ly d

istrib

-ut

ed

fro

m S

ene

ga

l and

Ke

nya

to th

e s

out

hern

pa

rt o

f M

pum

ala

nga

a

nd

Swa

zila

nd,

tow

ard

s Zi

m-

ba

bw

e a

nd th

e n

orth

ern

pa

rt o

f Lim

po

po

Pro

vinc

e.

Gro

win

g a

reas

in S

ou

th A

fric

aIt

is fo

und

in th

e w

ild in

Mp

uma

lang

a a

nd L

imp

op

o

pro

vinc

es.

Des

crip

tio

nM

ob

ola

plu

m i

s a

n e

verg

ree

n, t

rop

ica

l fru

it tre

e

with

a

m

ushr

oo

m-li

ke

sha

pe

a

nd

gro

ws

up

to

20 m

tall.

Stem

The

ste

m is

ba

re a

nd d

ens

e, w

ith a

roun

d to

mus

h-ro

om

-sha

pe

d c

row

n a

nd b

ranc

hes

tha

t d

roo

p a

ll a

roun

d. A

t ce

rtain

tim

es

of t

he y

ea

r, p

arti

cul

arly

in

hot w

ea

the

r, it

ca

n e

mit

an

unp

lea

sant

od

our

.

Bar

kTh

e b

ark

is d

ark

gre

y a

nd ro

ugh.

Leav

esTh

e le

ave

s a

re d

ark

gre

en

on

top,

ha

iry a

nd g

rey

to y

ello

w u

nde

rne

ath

on

a s

hort

pe

tiole

.

Flo

wer

sM

ob

ola

plu

m f

low

ers

are

sm

all,

whi

te a

nd s

we

et-

sce

nte

d a

nd o

cc

ur i

n sh

ort

pa

nic

les

(4 t

o 6

cm

d

iam

ete

r) in

the

lea

f axil

s. T

he s

talks

and

ca

lyx

are

c

ove

red

with

ye

llow

ish,

wo

olly

ha

irs.

The

bise

xua

l flo

we

rs h

ave

five

se

pa

ls, fi

ve p

eta

ls, s

eve

n o

r mo

re

sta

me

ns a

nd a

tw

o-c

ham

be

red

ova

ry.

The

sta

-m

ens

are

join

ed

at t

he b

ase

in a

ring

tha

t is

inse

rt-e

d in

to th

e m

out

h o

f the

rec

ep

tac

le.

Fru

itFr

uit i

s o

val t

o ro

und

and

30

to 5

0 m

m lo

ng, y

ello

w-

red

in

co

lour

, tu

rnin

g b

row

n a

s it

ripe

ns.

It ha

s a

ro

ugh,

sc

aly

skin

, w

ith g

old

en

co

lour

ed

wa

rts o

n th

e s

urfa

ce.

Clim

ate

and

so

il re

qu

irem

ents

, te

mp

erat

ure

The

mo

bo

la p

lum

is s

ens

itive

to

ext

rem

e w

ea

the

r, su

ch

as

frost

and

co

ld w

ind

s. It

gro

ws

we

ll a

t me

an

min

imum

and

ma

ximum

te

mp

era

ture

s o

f 10

ºC

a

nd 3

0 ºC

, re

spe

ctiv

ely.

Rai

nfa

llM

ob

ola

plu

m m

ost

ly g

row

s in

are

as

with

a m

ea

n a

nnua

l ra

infa

ll o

f ±40

0 m

m.

Soil

It p

refe

rs l

ight

ye

llow

ish-b

row

n to

re

dd

ish-y

ello

w,

sand

y c

lay

loa

ms,

red

to d

ark

red

, fria

ble

cla

ys w

ith

a la

terit

e h

oriz

on,

and

ye

llow

-red

loa

my

sand

s. T

his

tree

oc

cur

s p

rima

rily

on

we

ll-d

rain

ed

so

ils,

fairl

y a

cid

and

sa

ndy

soils

.

Cu

ltiv

atio

n p

ract

ices

PRO

PAG

ATIO

N

The

pla

nt is

pro

pa

ga

ted

thro

ugh

see

d, c

op

pic

e o

r su

cke

rs.

Soil

pre

par

atio

nSo

il p

rep

ara

tion

is b

est

do

ne a

mo

nth

or m

ore

be

-fo

re p

lant

ing

so

tha

t the

so

il ha

s tim

e to

se

ttle.

Dig

a

60

cm

de

ep

by

1, 2

m s

qua

re h

ole

, inc

orp

ora

t-in

g a

s m

uch

org

ani

c m

ate

rial a

s p

oss

ible

with

the

a

im to

ge

t the

so

il in

to a

cru

mb

ly te

xtur

e.

Pla

nti

ng

Co

llec

t fre

sh s

ee

ds

from

the

tre

e. C

lea

n th

e f

lesh

a

wa

y a

nd d

ry t

he s

ee

d in

the

sha

de.

Pre

trea

t th

e

see

d b

y im

me

rsin

g t

hem

in

bo

iling

wa

ter

for

15

min

ute

s a

nd a

llow

ing

the

m to

co

ol a

nd th

en

soa

k-in

g fo

r 24

hour

s. S

ow

the

se

ed

s in

rive

r sa

nd in

a fl

at

see

dlin

g t

ray.

Pr

ess

the

se

ed

s d

ow

n un

til t

hey

are

le

vel w

ith s

oil

surfa

ce

and

co

ver w

ith a

thin

laye

r of

sand

. Tra

nsp

lant

the

se

ed

ling

int

o a

nur

sery

ba

g

whe

n th

ey

rea

ch

the

3-le

af

sta

ge.

Tra

nsp

lant

the

se

ed

ling

into

the

ve

ld o

r ga

rde

n a

fter t

wo

ye

ars

.

Pes

t co

ntr

ol

Infe

sta

tion

of w

ee

vils’

larv

ae

in th

e s

tone

of P

.cur

a-

telli

folia

de

stro

ys t

he s

ee

d a

nd in

duc

es

lea

f d

rop.

N

em

ato

de

s a

nd g

roun

d b

ee

tles

(Ca

rab

ids)

ca

n b

e u

sed

as

bio

log

ica

l co

ntro

l ag

ent

s. T

he n

em

a-

tod

es

ca

n b

e in

trod

uce

d in

to th

e s

oil

whe

re

the

y a

re a

ctiv

e t

o f

ee

d o

n th

e w

ee

vil l

arv

ae.

Gro

und

b

ee

tles

also

fe

ed

on

we

evi

l g

rub

s, p

upa

e a

nd

agric

ultu

re,

fore

stry

& fi

sher

ies

Dep

artm

ent:

Agr

icul

ture

, For

estr

y an

d F

ishe

ries

RE

PU

BL

IC O

F S

OU

TH

AF

RIC

A

Dir

ecto

rate

: Pla

nt

Pro

du

ctio

n

• m

ob

ola

plu

m •

• m

ob

ola

plu

m •

2012

D

ep

artm

ent

of A

gric

ultu

re

Pr

iva

te B

ag

X25

0, P

reto

ria 0

001

D

esig

n a

nd la

yout

by

D

irec

tora

te C

om

mun

ica

tion

Serv

ice

s

ad

ults

. It

is a

dvi

sab

le t

o a

pp

ly r

ec

om

me

nde

d in

-se

ctic

ide

to

co

ntro

l ad

ult

we

evi

ls b

efo

re e

gg

lay-

ing

sta

rts.

Har

vest

ing

mat

uri

tyTh

e tr

ee

sta

rts to

be

ar f

ruit

from

Oc

tob

er t

o J

anu

ary

. Th

e f

ruit

ca

n b

e h

arv

est

ed

whe

n it

turn

s ye

llow

or-

ang

e a

nd t

his

is d

one

by

hand

pic

king

. Th

e f

ruit

ofte

n fa

lls to

the

gro

und

be

fore

fully

ma

ture

.

Use

s Th

e ri

pe

fru

it is

ed

ible

and

ric

h in

vita

min

C.

It c

an

be

co

oke

d a

s p

orri

dg

e o

r m

ad

e i

nto

be

er.

The

c

rush

ed

pul

p o

f the

frui

t is

an

ing

red

ient

in m

akin

g

juic

e. I

t c

an

also

be

use

d a

s d

ried

fo

od

. Th

e o

il-e

nric

hed

nut

s a

re e

ate

n a

lone

or m

ixed

with

ve

g-

eta

ble

s a

nd a

re c

ons

ide

red

as

alm

ond

s su

bst

i-tu

tes.

The

ed

ible

oil

is us

ed

fo

r c

oo

king

or

the

p

rod

uctio

n o

f pa

int,

varn

ish a

nd s

oa

p.

Oth

er u

ses

An e

xtra

ct f

rom

the

ba

rk is

use

d in

tann

ing

and

for

dyi

ng in

ba

ske

try.

It is

rep

orte

d t

hat

a r

oo

ts a

nd

ba

rk i

nfus

ion

is us

ed

fo

r th

e t

rea

tme

nt o

f sn

ake

-b

ites,

too

tha

che

and

fra

ctu

res.

The

twig

s a

re u

sed

a

s c

hew

stic

ks.

Mo

bo

la p

lum

tim

be

r is

very

dur

a-

ble

, ha

rd a

nd h

ea

vy a

nd i

s o

ften

use

d f

or

fine

w

oo

dw

ork

, mo

rtars

, ca

noe

s a

nd m

ine

tim

be

r. Po

or

qua

lity

timb

er

as

a r

esu

lt o

f w

ea

the

r e

xpo

sure

is

use

d fo

r ba

sic b

uild

ing

pur

po

ses

suc

h a

s p

ole

s fo

r hu

ts a

nd s

hed

s.

Ref

eren

ces

1. J

ule

s, J

. and

Ro

be

rt, E

. P.,

(ed

.).20

08. T

he e

ncyc

lop

ed

ia o

f

fruits

and

nut

s. C

AB In

tern

atio

nal.

Ca

mb

ridg

e U

nive

rsity

Pre

ss, W

ellin

gto

n, o

xfo

rdsh

ire, U

K. p

. 258

.

2. D

eve

lop

me

nt, S

ec

urity

and

Co

op

era

tion

(DSC

). 20

08. L

ost

cro

ps

of A

fric

a: V

olu

me

III:

Frui

ts. T

he N

atio

nal A

ca

de

mic

Pre

ss, W

ash

ing

ton,

D.C

.

3. M

aha

raj,

V. a

nd G

len,

H. F

., 20

08. P

arin

ari

cur

ate

llifo

lia

Pla

nch.

ex

Bent

h.

4. V

ent

er,

F. a

nd V

ent

er,

J., 2

005.

Ma

king

the

mo

st o

f

in

dig

eno

us tr

ee

s. B

riza

pub

lica

tions

, Pre

toria

.

FURT

HER

INFO

RMAT

ION

CA

N B

E O

BTA

INED

FRO

M:

Dire

cto

rate

: Pla

nt P

rod

uctio

n.

Priv

ate

Ba

g X

250,

Pre

toria

, 000

1

Tel:

012

319

6072

Fax:

012

319

637

2

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ail:

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aff.

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