Euclea polyandra hairy fruit

The globose fruits of Euclea polyandra are clustered near the stem-tip leaves on the female bushes. Like all guarris, the species is dioecious, i.e. male and female flowers grow on separate plants.

The densely hairy fruits are initially green, soon brown, sometimes red and nearly black when ripe. Fruit diameter is about 1 cm. They are probably eaten by baboons, hence the baboon guarri common name.

Earlier the cup-shaped, cream to nearly white flowers nodded on longish pedicels in small clusters from upper leaf axils, the petals round-tipped to obtusely pointed. Faint, short rusty hairs are usually present on the outside surfaces of the petals, denser on the short, pointed sepals behind, clutching the backs of the corolla cups.

Blooming happens in spring and summer.

The specific name, polyandra, is derived from the Greek words poly meaning many and andrus meaning man, referring to the numerous stamens in the male flowers (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Andrew, 2017; iNaturalist; https://www.fernkloof.org.za).