Flueggea virosa subsp. virosa ripe fruit

The white, almost spherical fruits of the white-berry bush, Flueggea virosa subsp. virosa, were seen in great abundance on this shrub in January near Orpen. They are fleshy and edible, about 4 mm in diameter. The fruits grow in clusters on yellow stalks of up to 1 cm in length. Fruits, ripe when white and earlier green, are sweet, eaten by birds, game and people.

The white-berry bush is dioecious, male and female flowers on separate trees. The flowers are only about 5 mm in diameter.

The thinly textured leaves of F. virosa are simple, alternate and crowded at branch tips. Leaf shape is elliptic to obovate, the tip tapering to rounded or notched, the base tapering. Leaf size is 2,5 cm to 6,5 cm by 1,5 cm to 3 cm, commonly nearer the smaller limit.

The upper surface of the leaf is bright green with white marks, paler on the lower surface. Leaves are hairless, their margins entire. The leaf stalk is brown, up to 3 mm long with brown stipules that drop off early (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; iSpot).