Zanthoxylum capense fruit

The fruits of Zanthoxylum capense are small, only about 3 mm to 5 mm in diameter. They are red or red-brown with shiny surfaces, produced in clusters among the green foliage. The fruit has a coarse surface due to many tiny glands found on it. When ripe, the fruit splits open, revealing a shiny black seed with an oily appendage. 

Birds, particularly mousebirds and barbets feed on the fruits that may be found on the tree from late spring to winter. The fruit tastes of lemon, leaving a persistent burning sensation in the mouth, worth experiencing once… maybe (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Grant, et al, undated).