Grewia flava flower

The flowers of Grewia flava grow from leaf axils of upper branches. The hairy pedicel of the flower is pale green and sturdy. The sepals are also yellow on top (the inside surface) like the petals and longer than them. A conspicuous cluster of many erect stamens is erect in the flower centre. All of them are fertile, topped with anthers that are pale yellow in this flowering stage.

The fruits are two-lobed drupes of less than 1 cm in diameter. A thin layer of edible flesh surrounds the single or paired seeds. These fruits constitute a valued food source in the Kalahari.

The stems were used by indigenous people to make arrow shafts and bows for hunting. The fibrous bark is (or has been) used as rope for tying things together (Schmidt, et al, 2002; Van Wyk and Gericke, 2000).