Carissa bispinosa flowers

This plant used to be called Carissa wyliei, but that name has disappeared with the inclusion of these scrambling plants of evergreen forests in the east of South Africa into C. bispinosa. Tiny spines are present on the pale green stems.

The white corollas of this form are sometimes tinged pink. The fragrant flowers are seen from late winter through summer.

The oval fruit is fleshy and red when ripe, about 10 mm long and 5 mm wide. Fruits are usually seen on the plant from mid-spring to autumn (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley 1993).