Grewia villosa green fruit

Green fruit of Grewia villosa are plentiful upon this plant seen in the Mjejane Game Reserve in April. The shallowly four-lobed fruits, growing in small clusters on short side-branches are covered in silky hairs.

The pointed greyish brown sepals that persist at the back of the fruit are even hairier, resembling thick-limbed spiders claiming ownership of the fruits.

The fruit becomes about 1,5 cm in diameter and turns reddish when ripe around autumn (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; iNaturalist).